Antique Japanese Fukusa with Old Folk Tale
browse these categories for related items...
Directory: Archives: Decorative Art: Pre 1920: Item # 560385
Directory: Archives: Decorative Art: Pre 1920: Item # 560385
SOLD Thank you!
This is an antique fukusa (Japanese gift cover) that the design came from the old folk tale called Urashima Taro. It is the story of a man who rescued a turtle from a group of cruel children. The turtle, who happened to be a princess of a dragon palace in disguise, returns later to thank him. The turtle invited him to tour the undersea world to her palace. He spends many days wined (with sake, I suppose) and dined, forgetting the time. As he finally realizes the time and is ready to return, he is given a “Tama-te-bako” box by the princess saying “never, never open the box”. When he returns to his village, everything looks strange to him and he cannot find his family or friends. Distressed, he absent-mindedly opens the box. With a burst of smoke coming from the box, he turns into a very old man. The short time that he thought he spent in the Ryugu-jyo palace was actually many hundreds of years! This story has a song written for the children narrating the whole story.
The measurements: 25 1/4 inches X 23 inches
Yuzen dye on dark gray Kabe-ori silk with a red silk crepe liner.
The condition is like new.
Occasion: This fukusa is appropriate for “ga no iwai”, the celebration of longevity for old relatives and close friends cerebrating special birthdays.