A Very Good, Old Komebukuro: Large Sized with Good Cottons

late nineteenth century
7" x 13" x 13", 18 cm x 33 cm x 33 cm

This kind of piece-constructed, drawstring bag is often referred to as a komebukuro.  

Komebukuro are bags that were used to bring token offerings of uncooked rice or beans to a temple or shrine festival, the piecing and patching often being thought-out and placed in a manner so as to create a celebratory textile that will lend a festive air to the happy event.

This large bag may not have been used for this purpose, however, but it is wonderful for its good age and for its very fine selection of old, hand loomed cottons.

About sixteen pieces of old cotton cloth have been hand stitched together to create this unlined bag.  The drawstring, still intact, seems original to the bag, and all its loops also are intact.

A really beautiful bag for its age and for the good quality of its cottons, this bag recalls every day life in old Japan.

Recommended.