A Recycled Cotton Flour Sack: Zokin

mid twentieth century
10 1/2" x 12", 26.5 cm x 30.24 cm

Zokin are traditional Japanese dustrags which are almost always made from layered and sashiko stitched scraps of cloth.

This is a very handsome zokin which is sewn from recycled cotton cloth--it seems the cloth was some kind of grain sack or possibly a bag that held suger as S. Suzuki is noted on the bag and this was a trading company originating in Kobe.

It is sashiko stitched in an even grid of white thread and it is a very good looking zokin with an unusual base fabric.