A Sakabukuro of Exceptional Quality: Boro Sake Filter

early to mid twentieth century
32" x 10 1/2", 81.25 cm x 26.5 cm

Sakabukuro, or sake straining bags, are beautiful boro textiles. Made of cotton saturated with green persimmon tannin, or kaki shibu, which gives the distinctive brown color, this utilitarian textile was used in sake making.

Crude sake, or sake lees, was placed in this bag and pressure was applied to squeeze out and filter the liquid. Repeated use required repeated mendings and we see the wonderfully odd stitches applied for this purpose.  

This is a seriously wonderful example of a sakabukuro and it shows a good amount of beautifully rough, stitching and patches to the front and back of the bag with intricate mending stitches on either side.  

A very, very good sakabukuro, and one of a high quality that is becoming more and more difficult to find.

Recommended.