Maru ni Uchiwa Tea Towel

【Maru ni Uchiwa】There are three types of uchiwa. The first is the gunbai uchiwa, which is an oval shape, and the handle is either attached at the bottom edge and extends to the top edge, dividing the oval in two, or is attached elsewhere. The second type is what we commonly use in the summer. Ordinary uchiwa have bamboo handles that are split at the top and spread out radially to form the skeleton, which is then covered with paper or cloth. The shape is circular, oval, or trapezoidal. The third type is the haneuchiwa, which is made by attaching bird feathers to the tip of a handle. (From "Japanese Crest Studies" by Raisuke Numata)