funzōe 糞掃衣

Also pronounced funsōe or funsōi. A Buddhist monk's robe made from rags. According to Buddhist tradition, the monk's robe, *kesa 袈裟, was made from old scraps of cloth discarded by laymen. These were collected, washed, and sewn together in rectangular strips. The oldest funzōe in Japan, made in the Nara period, is now in the Hōryūji Kennō Hōmotsu 法隆寺献納宝物, Nara. It is made from assorted pieces of hemp cloth, first sewn together and then over-stitched with colored threads to strengthen the fabric.