Gift cover (fukusa) with elephant and Chinese boys

WHAT’S THE STORY?
In Japan playful Chinese children, or karako, are a popular subject often shown with distinctive costumes and side-tufted hairstyles. The small boys riding the elephant on this fukusa are also a clever kind of word play. The Chinese phrase “ride an elephant” (qixiang) sounds very much like the word for “good fortune” (jixiang), so this gift cover conveys wishes for good luck with a visual pun.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
Note the pictorial elements and calligraphy in this fukusa. This appliqué technique is called kiribame. In kiribame pieces of silk crepe (chirimen) and brocade (nishiki) are cut and sewn to a dyed cloth, purple in this case. Details like the faces and elephant’s tail are hand-painted.