A single length of thin, quick-drying cotton with a hundred uses, as a hand towel, a tea towel, a scarf or stretched and framed as wall art. Woven with a traditional komon (fine repeat pattern), each design carries its own quiet meaning, rooted in centuries of Japanese textile craft. Unhemmed edges let it dry fast and fray softly with wash, the mark of a genuine tenugui.
CHOOSE FROM
ICHIMATSU (Yellow) - the classic checkerboard, symbolising continuity and good fortune extending without end. You'll recognise it as the motif behind the Tokyo 2020 Olympics emblem.
KANOKO (Pink) - a fawn-spot dotted pattern, traditionally linked to elegance and gentle beauty.
SHIPPOU (Light Pink) - interlocking circles known as the "seven treasures," representing harmony and peaceful connection.
IGETA (Blue) - a geometric well-curb lattice, said to symbolise an enduring source of life and prosperity.
ABOUT TENUGUI Tenugui have been part of everyday Japanese life since the Edo period, originally woven for bathing, gift-wrapping, and craft use. Made from a single piece of thin cotton with raw, unhemmed edges, they're prized for how quickly they dry and how beautifully they soften with wear, a small, functional textile with a long history in Japanese design.
THE DETAILS
Size: approx. 34 x 90cm (13.4 x 35.4in)
Material: 100% cotton
Made in Japan
Sold individually — choose your favority pattern
Deb's Note
I first discovered tenugui on a trip to Japan with my family, we wandered into a small local gift shop and I had no idea what I would use them for, but the patterns were so cute I picked up a few anyway.
They've since become a kitchen staple of mine. Genuinely, wonderfully absorbent, and with every wash they soften and take on this lived-in look, all without losing their strength, years on, mine are just as sturdy as the day I bought them.
