A Beautifully Detailed Sakabukuro: Stitching and Kaki Shibu

early to mid twentieth century
30 3/4" x 11 3/4", 78 cm x 29.75 cm

Sakabukuro, or sake straining bags, are beautiful boro textiles. Made of cotton saturated with green persimmon tannin, or kaki shibu, which gives the distinctive brown color, this utilitarian textile was used in sake making.

Crude sake, or sake lees, was placed in this bag and pressure was applied to squeeze out and filter the liquid. Repeated use required repeated mendings and we see the wonderfully odd stitches applied for this purpose.  

This bag with its rich, chestnut color, its leathery finish and its wonderful mending makes it a particularly good example of a sakabukuro so please have a good look at the many detail photos which accompany this posting.

Note the very unusual, vertically-oriented stitches that line the bag; note the small, round patch; and note the chalk writing on the reverse side of the bag.

A really wonderful sakabukuro, and one of a high quality and attractiveness that is becoming more and more difficult to find.

Recommended.