Half and half

片身替り katami-gawari

Half and half

The furoshiki is split straight down the middle into two colours or patterns, so two neighbouring corners take one and the other two the other. In flat and hidden-knot wraps the top flap shows one half against the other at the sides (turn the furoshiki to choose); in four-tie and watermelon wraps each side of the parcel, and each pair of knot ends, takes a different half.

Momoyama-period kosode design

Katami-gawari, giving the left and right halves of a garment different colours or patterns, is a hallmark of Momoyama-period kosode (late 16th century) and of Noh costume; surviving examples such as the Important Cultural Property kosode in the Bunka Isan Online database split the body down the centre seam. The same split is used for two-tone furoshiki sold as katami-gawari.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.