{{short description|Traditional Japanese multi-purpose cloth}} {{Multiple issues| {{more footnotes needed|date=November 2015}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2020}} {{Unreliable sources|date=June 2020}} }} {{Italic title}} thumb| [[File:Tenugui.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tenugui are also worn, including by athletes. This is a typical Kendo-style {{transliteration|ja|tenugui}}.]] A {{nihongo||手拭い|'''tenugui'''}} is a traditional Japanese decorative towel made from a thin and light cotton. It dates back to the Heian period or earlier. By the Edo period, {{Transliteration|ja|tenugui}} became what they are today; about {{convert|35|by|90|cm}} in size, plain woven, and almost always dyed with plain color or some pattern. The long sides are finished with a selvage, while the short sides are left unfinished to allow fraying.<ref name='"A Cloth Without Limits"'>{{cite web |last1=Rich |title=Tenugui: A Cloth Without Limits |url=https://www.tofugu.com/japan/tenugui/ |website=Tofugu |publisher=Tofugu LLC |access-date=21 June 2020 |ref=001 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200621042824/https://www.tofugu.com/japan/tenugui/ | date=7 May 2014 | archive-date=21 June 2020}}</ref>
{{transliteration|ja|Tenugui}} are traditionally used, tied in a specific manner, as a sling to wrap and carry bento boxes. Similarly, they're used to wrap items such as bottles. They are also used as hand towels, and often as headbands, such as for Kendo. And they are widely used simply as souvenirs or decorations.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 July 2018 |title=Choosing a Japanese Tenugui Towel |url=https://japanobjects.com/features/tenugui |access-date=3 April 2023 |website=Japan Objects}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bloom |first1=Gary |title=What Is a Tenugui |url=https://kyotocollection.com/what-is-a-tenugui/ |website=Kyoto Collection |access-date=3 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to use Tenugui: Let's use it in the kitchen |url=https://kamawanu.jp/feature/8978/ |website=Kamawanu |access-date=3 April 2023 |language=Japanese}}</ref> Although tenugui were once used as dishcloths, today Western-style thick or terry cloth dishcloths have generally replaced {{transliteration|ja|tenugui}} for dishcloth use.<ref name=""A Cloth Without Limits"" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Tenugui}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSu-uw4DUp8 YouTube: Tenugi] displaying an easy method for tying a {{Transliteration|ja|tenugui}} for kendo practice. *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHqVfoBQ7fs&NR=1 YouTube: All Japan Kendo Federation video I (1/3) 04:28 – 05:20] displaying two other methods for tying a {{Transliteration|ja|tenugui}} for kendo practice. *[https://www.flickr.com/photos/buechners/3696085921 Flickr: Star Wars themed tenugui] displaying an example of a {{Transliteration|ja|tenugui}}. *[https://www.tofugu.com/japan/tenugui/ Tofugu, Tengui: A Cloth Without Limits] An article describing {{Transliteration|ja|tenugui}} in detail. *{{cite web |last1=Dayman |first1=Lucy |title=Choosing a Japanese Tenugui Towel: All You Need to Know |url=https://japanobjects.com/features/tenugui |website=Japan Objects |date=27 July 2018 |access-date=21 June 2020 |ref=002 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200621043942/https://japanobjects.com/features/tenugui |archive-date=21 June 2020 |url-status=live}}
{{Authority control}} {{Japanese clothing}}
Category:Culture of Japan Category:Shinto religious objects Category:History of art in Japan Category:Japanese words and phrases Category:Textile arts of Japan Category:Japanese headgear
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