Tea was introduced to Japan from China in the early 9th century, however it wasn’t until the end of the 12th century that it was made from mixing hot water with ground tea instead of dropping tea leaves into hot water. The presentation of tea evolved with strict disciplines into a formal ceremony and has played an important role in Japan’s political and cultural expansion. It is called Chanoyu and is a refined and structured manner to demonstrate grace and good etiquette. An important part of the ceremony involves the presentation of a gift from the host which was covered by a cloth called Fukusa. Initially, the Fukusa were simple pieces of cloth draped over food ensuring no impurities could spoil the gift, but over time, they were decorated with symbolic elements appropriate for special lifetime events, such as weddings, milestone birthdays, birth of a child, etc. By the 18th century, they would become symbols of the owners’ wealth, as spectacular Fukusa were embroidered with gold and silver wrapped threads to decorate the formal gift presentation. Even more time consuming to produce were brocade and hand woven tapestries, with the most complex being Tsume Tsuzure, or nail tapestry. Cotton warps were covered by silk wefts woven using the 3rd and 4th fingers which had been serated, like a saw blade, with up to eight ridges per nail to help separate the threads. It took approximately 12 years to master the technique and was so tediously slow, a skilled artisan could only proceed about 1 inch of fabric per day, about 7 – 9 inches wide. This is the larger piece of a set of Tsume Tsuzure Fukusa that are from the late Edo Period (1603 -1868) and feature Hina Dolls of children in court attire (possibly musicians) on a solid cream background with pure gold threads woven into the background. The back (which is really the front) features a mon (family crest) and is woven with pure gold threads. larger piece, 29.5 x 27 inches, smaller piece, 15 x 13.75 inches