＜Yusai＞ Folding Purse

<Koyama> Yuusai Purse. Approx. 9.5cm high x 13.5cm wide x 3cm thick. Body: cowhide, interior: synthetic leather. Made in Japan. *Opening: clasp type, interior: 5 compartments. Koyama was founded in 1962 and uses the techniques of Kyo-Yuzen dyeing in Kyoto Prefecture to dye leather with beautiful colors and patterns. In their factory on top of a mountain in Kyoto, there are many vertically long and narrow dyeing tables with high-temperature heated tops.
This city originally prospered through Kyo Yuzen dyeing. Dyeing techniques have been handed down since ancient times. By using white guards for the stitches, adjacent colors do not mix, creating a variety of dyed patterns. The dye does not soak into the areas where the white guards are placed, and the glue is washed away in the final process of washing, revealing stunningly beautiful white lines. This is the distinctive feature of Yuzen dyeing. It is said that this technique, which is still used in leather dyeing today, was developed by applying and further pursuing the dyeing techniques that had been cultivated in Kyo Yuzen up until that point. Leather products that have been dyed by hand have good color retention, and the natural texture of the leather, where the leather itself is dyed, has a charm that cannot be compared to leather that has been dyed using other methods.
There are roughly three steps in dyeing leather. After placing the "white guard" on a mold, the mold is changed for each color in "dyeing", "steaming" is done in a steamer to fix the color, and "washing" is done by removing glue and excess dye using a large wooden washing machine-like tool called a "taiko" to make the white threads stand out. In all of these steps, the craftsman's sense is relied upon. A beautiful long wallet with a floral pattern dyed carefully by a skilled craftsman High-temperature countertops are essential in the factory to shorten the drying time for the next color in the "dyeing" process and to prevent the color and pattern from bleeding. A mold is placed on the material, and each part is dyed and the mold is shifted. The amount of dye and the amount of force to be applied are difficult, and it is said that it is a game of intuition. On the other hand, in the "steaming" process, if the temperature is increased, the color will be absorbed well, but if the temperature is too high, the leather will burn, so it is necessary to judge. Depending on the type of leather, the heat of tens of degrees and for how many minutes is fine-tuned. Leather is a natural material. The color of the leather changes greatly depending on the type of leather. "It's all about intuition. You look at the individuality of the leather. Leather isn't the same thickness and surface as bolts of cloth, so we have to be creative." Of course, it's not just the craftsmen who are creative, but also the designers who design the colors and patterns.
This time, we have adopted an original small floral pattern that was created with great care to make the seams less noticeable. This item was created through collaboration between a designer and a craftsman who works closely with the material.

*Items will be shipped within 5 days to 1 week of purchase.