A Stunningly Repaired Hemp Bag: Expert Mending

early twentieth century
19 1/4" x 12 1/2", 49 cm x 32 cm

This pouch-like bag is hand woven from thick, wiry bast fiber yarns, possibly hemp, possibly mulberry, possibly another fiber such as ramie. The yarn is tough, thick and hand plied.

The bag is remarkable for its amazing areas of mending which are done both in the same fiber as the body of the bag as well as in white cotton thread.

The mending is equally distributed on the front and the back of the pouch and in looking at the detail photos here you will see that the mends are expertly done and appear to be a kind of "re-weaving" of the base cloth.

As well there is faded and abraded sumi writing on each side of the bag.

The cloth feels rough in the hand and is stiff due to the thick yarns it is woven from. The bag is remarkably free from stains or holes and it is amazing to see the great care taken in mending this small, utilitarian textile. The mending is something of a masterpiece of the genre.

This is a spectacular little object and one that has remarkable details and character.

Recommended.