A Richly Colored Kaki Shibu Dyed Bag: Equally Beautiful Inside and Out

late nineteenth century
27 1/2" x 11", 70 cm x 28 cm

This chestnut colored bag is leathery in feel due to its having been dipped into green persimmon tannin or kaki shibu multiple times over a great deal of time.  It is absolutely beautiful to the eye, and also beautiful to feel in the hand.

The base cloth is so coated by kaki shibu that it is hard to tell if it is cotton or hemp; its texture is scratchy and stiff.

Shown here is the bag from all angles and inside-out.  

It is difficult to say which of the two sides of the bag is the more attractive: the patched, proper inside of the bag, or the proper outside that shows vestiges of these mending patches on its surface.

In every way, from its good age to its obvious beauty, this bag is something from old Japan that is begging to be collected and appreciated by someone with a good eye and a taste for authenticity.

A marvelous thing and one that calls to mind life in an era that is long gone.

Very recommended.