A Very Large, Hand Plied Hemp or Ramie Bag: Heavyweight Cloth

**further reduced from $276.00**
late nineteenth, early twentieth century
45" x 35", 114.25 cm x 88.9 cm

Please note the dimensions listed above--this is a very large hemp or ramie bag that has been hand woven from thick, hand plied yarns.

The material itself is beautifully rustic and exactly what you would want to see in a Japanese folk textile--cloth that has been entirely hand made from traditional materials.

The thickly woven bast fiber has been applied to this large, drawstring bag which was obviously used for storage or hauling.

The hand written kanji or Chinese characters were done in ink and have bled through to the back of the bag.

They seem to indicate a place called "Fishtown," which was a bustling area of Morioka in northern Iwate prefecture--more than likely this bag was made and used a century ago in Morioka.

There are several stains to the surface and two holes to the back of the bag, all shown on detail photos here.

The drawstring is thick, hand twined bast fiber cording. The bag is entirely hand stitched.

This is a pleasure to behold and one made of really good hand plied fibers--it is an impressive, old folk textile.