Japanese essentials in "Tenugui" (cotton made towels)

In Japan, it is very common to have a small cotton towel adorned with beautiful patterns called tenugui. It's a habit that goes back a long way in Japanese history.

The word tenugui literally means "hand towel". The tenugui has indeed absorbent capacities and dries very quickly, which makes it a very useful accessory in many situations.

Its origin dates back to the Nara era, around the 8th century. It was an object reserved for religious ceremonies, then for noble classes. Indeed, everything that was in the field of clothing, and especially cotton, was rarity value. The elongated format (approximately 35x90 cm) comes from the fact that the fabrics used to make the kimonos were used to make tenugui.
Its use was democratized from the Edo era (16th century). The tenugui is a little ancestor of oshibori: the wet towel that is presented in restaurants before the meal. Indeed, in the old days, a tub full of water was placed at the entrance of the restaurants, and one dip his tenugui in to be able to wash the hands before the meal.
Its ability to dry quickly without accumulating dust and dirt allows its use as a towel in a kitchen or bathroom, even in washcloths.  It quickly became a staple in the onsen where it was never far away, and the tradition has continued until our time.

Gradually one began to appreciate not only the practicality but also the aesthetics of the tenugui, and the motifs and techniques of decoration multiplied.

Kenshi (kendo fans) and chefs (specially Sushi chef) also use it as a bandana to absorb perspiration and retain hair.
It can be used as ecological packaging, for gifts or bento boxes, as a fashion accessory as a headband or scarf ...

It can also be used as a set or table runner, or simply displayed as a decoration. Its use is unlimited, you can use it whatever you like with your imagination!

We can also talk about his cousin, the hankachi. The use as a towel is much the same, but the hankachi is smaller (usually square) and is made of materials similar to Western sponge towels. It has the advantage of better absorbing, but also dries less quickly. Its use is also more limited than that of tenugui.
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