‘Hinomaru’ Fukusa, Japan, early Showa (circa 1930’s), 17x18 cm. a fukusa is a Japanese ceremonial square of cloth used to cover a gift during its formal presentation. Since ceremonial procedures permeated all facets of Japanese life, including the giving of gifts, important families commissioned famous artists to create individual fukusa with the intent of indicating their position in society. They were usually hand woven of the finest silk, and both the front and the back were usually decorated. This one should have had a very deep meaning to the presenter, as it displays the ‘Hinomaru’ (sun circle), that is the name with which the national flag is known in Japan, a motif widely used on military banners from the ‘Warring States’ period (15th century) onwards, and that has had a strong religious connotation since the 7th century. Still with its vintage original box, and with a kanji character we cannot read on its back, this fukusa shows signs of ‘fading’ on the white silk where the red circle had been – much symbolically - hand-made painted upon. An item we cannot think there is another ‘more Japanese’ one around…