These Momotarō themed tenugui cloths were made by Toyokazu Ono at his Yotsume dye studio.

The story of Momotarō is a classic one in Japanese folklore, and involves a boy, born from a peach. He grows powerful, and with associates (a pheasant, a dog and a monkey) takes on island dwelling demons. The upper part of the design depicts Momotarō and friends prior to their journey to the island, while the lower, blue-ish, section shows them at work once there.

The tenugui is 90cm by 35cm, and can be hung from the ceiling, or stretched across a table. It can also be used as a sustainable wrap, or as a light towel.  It is made from cotton.

Tenugui are made to be used, and in Japan the colour fade after washes is taken as part of the life of the item. However, it is still wise to expect a colour run from the hand dyed product, and best to wash separately at least for the first few occasions.

About Yotsume

Yotsume Somenuno-sha is the dye studio of Toyokazu Ono.  Based in Kunisaki on the north-eastern tip of Kyushu island, Ono practices katazome, or Japanese stencil dye.  From a family who have made dye works for temples and Japanese businesses for more than a century, Ono takes his influences from the mid-century revival in katazome led by Keisuke Serizawa, and modern stencil based graffiti.  The results are handmade dye works rich in colour and pattern, that offer both a contemporary riff on a traditional craft, and tap into a rich aesthetic seam.