noun
fukusa (silk wrapping cloth); small cloth for tea ceremony
A square of fine silk used to wrap gifts or to handle tea utensils during the tea ceremony. The same cloth serves both purposes, with the tea ceremony use being a specialized application.
茶道では、袱紗で茶碗を清めます。
In the tea ceremony, you purify the tea bowl with a fukusa.
お祝いの品を袱紗に包んで持参した。
I brought the celebratory gift wrapped in a fukusa.
A larger square cloth used for wrapping and carrying everyday items, unlike the smaller, more formal fukusa used in tea ceremony and gift presentation.
The word is of Japanese origin, referring to a small silk cloth. The kanji 袱 and 紗 both relate to cloth or silk, but the exact historical derivation is uncertain.