Hand towel (tenugui) - Tenugui

Japanese: 手ぬぐい(手拭) - てぬぐい

A long, narrow cloth used to wipe hands and sweat, or to wear on the head. In the Wamyōshō, it is written as 'handkerchief', and its Japanese name is 'Tanogoi'. In ancient times, tenugui were used mainly to purify the body and implements in sacred ceremonies such as Shinto rituals and coming-of-age ceremonies, and were reserved for the upper classes. They became practical around the Kamakura period, but they were not widely used until the Sengoku period, when they were used during bathing, to wipe sweat, to wipe hands, and as headgear. In the Edo period, tenugui came to be used mainly among ordinary people and samurai, and their uses expanded beyond mere practical use to include decoration, gift-giving, and toys.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

手や汗をぬぐったり頭にかぶったりする，幅のせまい丈の長い布。《和名抄》には〈手巾〉と記され，〈和名太乃己比（たのごい）〉とある。手ぬぐいは古くは神事や元服など，神聖な儀式で身体や器具を清浄にするためにおもに使われ，上流階級の専用物であった。鎌倉時代ころから実用的なものとなったが，広く使われだすのは戦国時代以後のことで，入浴の際や，汗ふき，手ふき，被り物（かぶりもの）などに使われた。江戸時代になると，手ぬぐいはもっぱら民間や武士の間で使われるようになり，その利用法も単なる実用をこえて装飾，贈答，玩具など多方面に及んだ。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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