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https://letterformarchive.org/news/this-just-in-chopstick-sleeves-as-emissaries-of-japanese-typography-and-culture/>
"The chopstick sleeve originated in the Imperial Court of Japan sometime during
the Heian period (8th–12th century). Ladies-in-waiting are thought to have
wrapped chopsticks in scraps of silk or other fine fabrics as it was considered
impolite to pass unwrapped objects from one hand to another. Hundreds of years
later,
hashibukuro (“chopstick envelopes”) graced the banquet tables of
shoguns, and by the Edo period (17th–19th century), establishments in the
Yoshiwara red light district furnished
hashibukuro to their regulars.
Paper chopstick sleeves emerged at the turn of the 20th century when disposable
chopsticks and packaged meals gained popularity with the advent of train
travel. In addition to ensuring cleanliness, printed paper chopstick sleeves
became vernacular advertisements for shops and restaurants.
The latest addition to the Archive’s holdings of Asian ephemera is the
hashibukuro collection of Mr. Susumu Kitagawa of Fuji City, Japan. While
individually modest in their design and messaging, when considered as a whole
the sleeves that comprise this collection map a singular history of Japanese
ideology and aesthetics."
Via Esther Schindler.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
