A Pieced Silk Drawstring Bag: Rich Colors and Old Cloth

early to mid twentieth century
7" x 9" x 9", 18 cm x 23 cm x 23 cm

This is a delightful thing, it is a drawstring bag or kinchaku that has been hand stitched from re-purposed kimono (and other) silks of very nice quality and good age. The silks date from the late nineteenth through the early part of the 20th century. 

The bag is perfectly sewn and the pieces are arranged in a playful, showy way--all the individual pieces are set on a diagonal--that is extremely charming. 

Note the purple toned fragment. This is a very nice old piece of silk that has been dyed in gromwell root or shikon as it is called in Japan. The rest of the pieces are mainly chirimen or crepe silk, most of them not dyed in botanical dyes.

This is a bag of wonderful design and construction that shows a bold combination of colors.

Note the small "tassels" at each of the corners of the bottom of the bag, and note as well the charming arrangement of pieces on the bottom of the bag.

Recommended.