A Beautifully Simple Sakabukuro: Leathery Cotton

ca. early to mid twentieth century
32" x 9 1/4", 81 cm x 23.5 cm

Sakabukuro, or sake straining bags are made of cotton and are saturated with green persimmon tannin, or kaki shibu, which gives the bag's cotton cloth a distinctive brown color.  This beautifully worn and mended utilitarian textile was used in the sake making process.

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

This wonderful bag shows a very nice, leathery surface which no doubt is due to multiple dipping in kaki shibu or green persimmon tannin.  The perfectly placed, spare mending stitches add a minimalist beauty to this traditional sake making bag.

Lovely.