Leather Bags from Japan

Japanese leathercraft is something that came to the country in the aftermath of the war. There, of course, were leather goods before that, but some American servicemen and their families brought over the concept of leather tooling. Intricately carved Western leather gear fascinated many Japanese, with their love of detail, and the art form took off on its own from that.

However, once imported to Japan, things are known to change a great deal. Japanese leather artists began to make design that suited their own tastes. Also, unlike in the US, the majority of those attracted to leather tooling and leathercrafting were women. An entire art form has blossomed from leathercraft’s humble origins, and the Japanese work is among the best in the world. Since we are focused more on practical applications, I selected a picture of handbags rather than some of the really stunning display pieces in this book. Click on the image to get a larger view.