Gift cover (fukusa) with design of karuta poem cards and elegant container

WHAT’S THE STORY?
Karuta is a popular card game in Japan. Pictured here is the open box with cards scattered nearby as if the game is in mid-play. Some cards show a court poet and a wellknown poem; others feature only the last lines of the poem. With the cards spread out, the poems’ first lines are read as the players compete to quickly identify and whisk away the matching cards.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
At the center of the container is an embroidered zelkova-wood pattern. Bone fasteners and cords with three-dimensional tassels contribute luxury effects. A red back lining overlaps the edges to form a frame for this illusionistic scene.