A Beautifully Stitched, Leathery Sakabukuro: Sake Filter

mid twentieth century
31" x 10 3/4", 78.5 cm x 27.25 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 wonderful bag shows a beautiful and small island of stitched mending and some wonderful stitched details on the bottom of the bag on its sides.  The stitching is very attractive because of its unintended artistry.  The top of the bag is hand stitched.

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

Recommended for its wonderful surface and its excellent stitching.