A Handsome Sakabukuro: Good Stitching

ca. mid twentieth century
30 1/2" x 9", 77.5 cm x 23 cm

Sakabukuro, or sake straining bags, are usually made of cotton which has been 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 mending. and we see the wonderfully odd stitches applied for this purpose. 

This wonderful bag shows selectively stitched areas of mending done in thick, cotton threads, which seem to have been slightly overdyed in kaki shibu; the bag itself shows a leathery texture from repeated dips in this green persimmon tannin dye.

Note the horizontal band of discoloration in the center of the back of the bag.