Tenugui Towels: Japanese Design in Daily Life
A Travelling Exhibition from The Japan Foundation, Toronto
As a community organization, the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum strives to provide an inclusive and welcoming space for our growing community. With the recent building of the Asahi Kasei Battery Separator plant in Port Colborne, we have had an influx of Japanese families and workers join our community over the last two years.
Tenugui Towels: Japanese Design in Daily Life, opening at the Roselawn Centre on September 16th is a travelling exhibit on loan from The Japan Foundation, Toronto that promotes cultural appreciation and encourages friendship and goodwill.
Tenugui (/teˈnuːɡi/ or teh-noo-GEE), meaning ‘a hand-wiping cloth’, are for everyday uses in Japanese culture. Individual towels were used for many purposes; not only for wiping and cleaning, but also for wrapping and wearing, and even as advertising tools.
Tenugui are towels made of bleached cotton, approximately 34 cm wide and 90 cm in length. In the 17th century, when the production of cotton increased dramatically in Japan, people benefited from the rich supply of cotton cloth for use in their daily lives.
During the reign of Emperor Meiji (1868-1912), under the influence of the Western Industrial Revolution, Japan underwent rapid modernization. Consequently, the production of tenugui entered a new era with the invention of Chusen, an innovative dye-pouring technique. This technique increased productivity and widened design possibilities, allowing designers to incorporate multiple colours and patterns. Some are elaborate while others are transparently simple.
To meet the various needs of special occasions throughout the four seasons and the individual personalities of each owner, the Japanese developed a wide range of designs on the surface of the cloth. Tenugui has become a canvas for creativity.
Not only does this exhibit welcome new families from Japan and introduces them to one of our cultural facilities, but it also celebrates our new connection with the production of Port Colborne’s own unique Tenugui Towel.
Earlier this Spring while visiting Japan, Director of Museum and Culture, Stephanie Powell Baswick studied the use of tenugui in rural Japan.
Meeting with cultural representative Megumi Amaike, they coordinated the commission of an original tenugui representing elements of Port Colborne, in honour of the City’s new partnership with Asahi Kasei.
This unique design symbolizes friendship, harmony and a shared vision of future prosperity.
We are honoured to share this collaborative tenugui as well as designs of the Fall season, known as “Aki” on loan from The Japan Foundation – Toronto, who partnered with the Museum to share this collection in Port Colborne. The Fall collection celebrates a time of transformation, marked by the beautiful leaves, the harvest moon, and vibrant colours of a cooler season.
