A Beautifully Repaired and Stitched Sakabukuro: Traditional Sake Filter

early twentieth century
30 1/4" x 9 1/2", 76 cm x 24 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 is an excellent, artful example of a sakabukuro and it shows beautifully applied rough patches and great mending stitches to the front and back of the bag: fantastic. The bag is entirely hand stitched

This is an extremely handsome sakabukuro, and one of a quality that is becoming more and more difficult to find. Please note one vertical tear to the top, back of the bag, shown in the accompanying detail photos.

Recommended.