Cotton Azuma bag in blue indigo vertical stripes - Matsusaka Momen

This small Azuma cotton bag represents a Japanese "iki" style ("iki" roughly means "chic"). It is made from traditional Japanese cotton fabric dyed with indigo. The fabric is called "Matsusaka Momen" and is made using a time-honored, painstaking traditional method which is more than five hundred years old. 

The Azuma bag came from the Japanese traditional habit of carrying things in a flat wrapping cloth known as a "Furoshiki." Due to the influence of Western culture, this flat wrapping cloth became a bag sewn from separate pieces. 

The fabric of the Azuma bag is traditional Matsusaka striped cotton. The beautiful blue indigo thread is hand dyed by a skillful dyer and it is woven on a vintage loom. This bag is crafted in a traditional way by skilful and experienced craftspeople. 

The fashionable color of the fabric perfectly matches the simple shape of the traditional Japanese Azuma bag. You can use this bag to carry small items, or inside a larger bag.  

About maker
Marukawa Shoten is a brand founded by the designer Mr Tatsuya Marukawa. He created it in 2008 to promote his hometown's traditional craft, "Matsusaka Momen," which is cotton fabric dyed with indigo. Matsusaka Momen comes from the city of Matsusaka, in Mie prefecture. Read more

Material: Cotton 100% 

Approximate Size: Height bottom to top (flat): 37cm (14.6") Width (flat): 47cm (18.5") Gusset depth (flat base): 10cm (3.9")

Care: This product is dyed with natural indigo. Its color may transfer due to rain, sweat or abrasion. To minimize color fading, we recommend that the bag be protected from long periods of direct heat and sunlight.