This is a selection of nine different, hand stenciled paper pouches–by pouch I mean that each is a folded piece of paper which is machine sewn on three sides with the exception of an unsewn length of about 6″/15 cm on one of the short sides.   The group dates to the early Showa Period (1926-1989).

From left to right, the patterns are: chrysanthemum, grape and squirrel, hanabishi (or “diamond flower”) and chrysanthemum, shippo tsunagi or interlocking circles, shippo tsunagi with central flower pattern, shippo tsunagi, butterfly, abstract floral pattern, grape and squirrel.

I’m offering a few of these paper pouches for sale on my website, here.

They’re really beautiful, aren’t they?

This is a group of five Japanese sakiori obis which are rolled and seen from above. 

Sakiori is weaving technique that uses “recycled,” shredded cotton textiles as weft yarns.  Earliest examples of sakiori weaving extend back to the early 19th century when poor people were able to acquire cotton rags for the first time: until this time, cotton was a scarce commodity as it had recently been introduced to Japan and only the wealthier echelon of society could afford to buy it.

Rural folk couldn’t afford to buy cotton garments, so they bought rags: they cleaned and shredded the rags and used them to create thick cloth which they fashioned into clothing.  Sakiori weaving endured in Japan until the mid-twentieth century.

These obis date from the mid-twentieth century; most sakiori obis date from the early-to-mid twentieth century.  Have a look at this lovely one here, and another example of sakiori weaving–just gorgeous–here.

This photo was taken by Lyn Hughes.