A Pieced Cotton Bag: Tabbed Top and Paper Twine Cord

early to mid twentieth century
10" x 5" x 6", 25.5 cm x 12.75 cm x 15 cm

This lovely drawstring bag is hand sewn from pieces of Japanese cottons. It is made up of a mixture of woven plaids and printed, pictorial cloth.

The cotton drawstring is not original to the bag and it is threaded through four hand stitched loops or tabs that draw the top of the bag together but do not close it entirely. The cord used for this is twined, recycled paper.

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.  This bag may or may not have been used for this purpose, however.

A charming bag, it is one that shows a really lovely and good range of cottons--it is an object that beautifully recalls the spirit of old Japan.