This classic silk fukusa (gift cover), dating to the mid-Meiji period (1875–1900), features a powerful and auspicious composition of the crane and tortoise. Measuring approximately 25 inches by 24 inches (64 cm x 61 cm), the textile is crafted on a black silk ground that provides a striking contrast for the silver and gold embroidery.
The central imagery includes a descending mandarin crane and a minogame (a legendary long-lived tortoise). In Japanese mythology, the crane is said to live for a thousand years, while the tortoise lives for ten thousand; the "long tail" of the minogame is actually a trail of seaweed that has grown on its shell over centuries. Together, they form the premier symbol of longevity and eternal youth. The embroidery is executed with great precision, though the piece shows some authentic age through a slight loss of gold on the metallic couching and a few minor surface imperfections.