What's a "Japanese napkin," in historical context?

May 1, 2008 7:43 AM

What's a "Japanese napkin," in historical context? For that matter, what's the deal with paper napkins?

After the doctor had gone Sue went into the workroom and cried a Japanese napkin to a pulp. Then she swaggered into Johnsy's room with her drawing board, whistling ragtime.
-- American writer O. Henry, "The Last Leaf" (1907)

What's a "Japanese napkin"? Is it like a square of tissue paper? Why'd O. Henry call it Japanese? If there were paper napkins (or tissues) in 1907, when did they become available as a commercial product?

posted by zennie to society & culture (6 comments total)

Some googling turned up this link to a picture of a souvenir napkin from 1883, which would have been the type of thing O Henry might be referring to.
posted by frecklefaerie at 8:14 AM on May 1

Japan paper is thin rice paper in use around the turn of the century. Perhaps it was made into napkins as well.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:29 AM on May 1

Don't know about Japanese napkin, but as for your paper napkin question, paper started being introduced in the US as toiletry/kitchen items around the turn of the century, with Scott Paper company making paper napkins around 1930s. See this about toilet paper, and paper towels.
posted by jujube at 8:58 AM on May 1

(Just to save you the time: it's not in the OED as "Japanese napkin," although there is Japanese silk and Japanese paper.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:41 AM on May 1

This version of the same O. Henry story seems to include a footnote that indicates that a Japanese napkin is a "paper napkin, elaborately folded."

If they are in fact made of rice paper, this site says they are much nicer than regular wood pulp paper napkins.
posted by cabingirl at 9:56 AM on May 1

Hm... I had never heard of that kind of rice paper. Interesting.

Thanks everyone!
posted by zennie at 4:07 PM on May 5