A Large, Beautifully Crafted Komebukuro: All Natural Dyes and Hand Woven Cotton

late nineteenth century
15" x 10" x 10", 38 cm x 25.5 cm x 25.5 cm

This is an amazingly good example of a piece-constructed, drawstring bag.

It is better than most for its large size, for its as-new condition and for the fantastically good array of nineteenth century hand woven cottons that compose the bag. It is a beauty and well worth considering.

This type 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 all the reasons noted in the lead in to this post.

The thick, hemp drawstring, still intact, seems original to the bag, and it is also in almost as-new condition.

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.