Tabako-ire – Tobacco Pouch Featuring A Ryū Dragon And Mount Fuji – Silk, Leather Silver - Japan

Tabako-ire – Tobacco pouch featuring a Ryū dragon and Mount Fuji – Embroidered silk, floral-patterned leather, silver clasp (kanamono), bone counter-clasp, and brass or bronze suspension loops – Japan, late Edo period (1603–1868) to early Meiji period (1868–1912)

This tobacco pouch (tabako-ire) is crafted from leather and adorned with silk embroidery in shades of violet/indigo and gray. The exterior design depicts a Ryū dragon—a mythical creature from Japanese folklore—moving amidst stylized clouds (zuiun). Upon opening the pouch, the design shifts to reveal the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji, also surrounded by clouds.
The exterior clasp (kanamono) is fashioned from silver in the shape of a Ryū dragon. The interior counter-plate features a wave pattern (seigaiha) and bears the artisan’s signature. The pouch still closes securely with a simple press.
The interior leather, decorated using a die-stamping technique, displays a beautiful array of chrysanthemum motifs in alternating hues of ochre and indigo. The fact that the indigo remains so vivid beneath the flap speaks to the high quality of the pigments used. The inner compartment includes a small bone fastener. At the top, the pouch retains its original brass or bronze suspension loops (himotoshi), designed to accommodate a cord for carrying (sagemono). The remarkably fresh colors of the embroidery beneath the flap, the use of silver for the clasp, and the characteristic Japanese-style ornamentation make this finely crafted tobacco pouch a true collector’s item for any enthusiast of Far Eastern art.


The item is presented and sold in its current condition. There is some wear and a tear on the interior leather, consistent with the object’s age and repeated use. Snap fasteners have been added at a later date. The overall structure remains sound.


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