Tenugui

A tenugui (手拭い) is a traditional Japanese decorative towel made from a thin and light cotton.

It dates back to the Heian period or earlier.

By the Edo period, tenugui became what they are today; about 35 by 90 centimetres (14 by 35 in) in size, plain woven, and almost always dyed with plain color or some pattern.

[1] Tenugui are traditionally used, tied in a specific manner, as a sling to wrap and carry bento boxes.

They are also used as hand towels, and often as headbands, such as for Kendo.