A Sakabukuro Bag: Repurposed Sake Filters

mid twentieth century
as shown: 16" x 16" x 13", 40.5 cm x 40.5 cm x 33 cm

This fairly large, nicely voluminous bag is made from repurposed sakabukuro or sake filters which have been hand stitched together to form this very nice pouch: as can be easily seen, old sakabukuro were also used to make a tie that cinches the neck of the bag.

Sakabukuro are made of cotton which has been dyed in kaki shibu or green persimmon tannin, a substance which coats the cotton fibers and yields a brown color.

Although tied closed in these photos, this bag could easily be refashioned to make a nice, large pillow were it to be left untied and filled.

A lovely utilitarian textile from old Japan.

Charming.