A Sakabukuro: Repaired Sake Filter

early to mid twentieth century
31 1/2" x 9", 80 cm x 23 cm

Sakabukuro, or sake straining bags, are beautiful boro textiles. Made of cotton which is 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 wonderful stitches applied for this purpose.  

This is a nice example of a sakabukuro and it shows beautiful mending in the form of a strong stitches done in thick thread. The bottom of the bag is lightly stitched but the main feature is the two horizontal bands of two-toned stitched mending, the darker one indicating that it was dipped in the kaki shibu bath.

This is a handsome sakabukuro with simple and very attractive mending and a nice, surface from repeated dips in the green persimmon tannin vat.

Beautiful.