A Piece Constructed Drawstring Bag: Flannel Segments

mid twentieth century
9" x 9" x 9", 23 cm x 23 cm x 23

This lovely drawstring bag is completely hand stitched from about 11 or 12 pieces of old Japanese cottons of different types, some of them hand loomed, some of them commercially produced: the red figured cloth is flannel, a cloth that was introduced to Japan from the West in the late nineteenth century.

The arrangement of the colored cloth pieces is done with an attempt to charm the eye and by staggering striped, red, and dark colored cloth this look has been successfully achieved, you could say.  The bottom shows a nice piece of kasuri or ikat cotton along with a nice little strip of cotton velvet.

The bag is of a nice size, it is lined and is in good, used condition with the drawstring being original to the bag.

This kind of piece-constructed, drawstring bag is often referred to as a komebukuro.  Komebukuro are bags that were used to bring token offerings of uncooked rice or beans to a temple or shrine festival, the piecing and patching often being thought-out and planned, for festive effect.

A marvelous, old bag, and object that recalls the spirit of old Japan.