Woman Holding a Hand Towel

A woman holding a hand towel — printed in the early 1950s from Goyo's original designs — the figure in the moment of drying after bathing or washing, the towel's white linen creating a tonal counterpoint to her skin and hair. The hand towel (tenugui) was among the most ordinary objects of Japanese domestic life, and Goyo's choice to make it a compositional element reflects his interest in the poetry of the everyday: the way a simple cotton towel, held by a specific woman in a specific light, becomes an element of visual and human significance.