This expansive cotton furoshiki (carrying cloth) from Japan dates to the early Showa period (1926–1940). Measuring 63 inches by 57 inches (160 cm x 145 cm), the textile is a masterwork of the tsutsugaki technique, a freehand resist-dyeing method using a paper cone to apply rice paste. The cloth is dyed a saturated, deep indigo that provides a stark, dramatic background for the white resist motifs.
The composition features the "Three Friends of Winter" (Sho-Chiku-Bai)—pine (matsu), bamboo (take), and plum (ume)—which collectively symbolize perseverance, integrity, and renewal. A large central medallion contains a family crest (mon) depicting crossed hawk feathers (takanoha) within a plum blossom border, a motif often associated with samurai heritage and discipline. Surrounding this central crest are large-scale, expressive renderings of pine needles in the upper right, a sturdy bamboo stalk with sharp leaves in the lower left, and blossoming plum branches in the remaining corners. The piece is in very good condition.