The memory of stripes resides in the clasp purse: WABISUKE's zebra print pouch and its journey from the Edo period

The memory of stripes resides in a clasp purse - WABISUKE's zebra print pouch and its journey from the Edo period

One day, when I opened the small purse that fit in the palm of my hand, a breeze from far away Africa blew through.
The zebras, clad in orange fabric with black and white stripes, move quietly but surely, as if running across the grasslands at dusk.

WABISUKE's "Zebra Print Pouch" is not just an animal print item.
It is a "cultural vessel" that intersects the wonder and admiration of the Edo period, Japanese design and exotic life, and a poetic practicality that is in line with modern life.

1675: The day zebras arrived in Japan

The year was 1675 (the third year of the Enpo era).
The Edo Shogunate received a rare gift from a foreign country. The sender was an Armenian merchant named Khoja Murad. He was said to be an "ambassador of the Ethiopian kings" and was offering two zebras to the Japanese emperor.

This incident is recorded in the Tokugawa Jikki, the official record of the Edo Shogunate, and in documents from the Dutch East India Company, and shows the extent to which the Japanese at the time had intellectual curiosity about foreign cultures and nature.

People at the time called zebras "shimauma" or "kouma," and captured their appearances in drawings and stories. The wonder and awe they felt toward an animal they had never seen before, along with the flexibility to incorporate it into their own language and aesthetic sense, are symbolic of the depth of Edo culture.

[The aesthetics of stripes: the intersection of Japanese and Western rhythms]

For Japanese people, stripes are not just patterns.
During the Edo period, stripes were considered a symbol of sophistication in townspeople's culture, and were frequently used on kimonos, obi sashes, furoshiki wrapping cloths, and other items. Stripes have a sense of space, a rhythm of stillness and movement. The shading of ink paintings, the shadows of shoji screens, the swaying of bamboo forests—Japanese aesthetics have always found poetry in lines and white space.

The stripes of a zebra running across the African grasslands are superimposed on it.
The contrast between black and white is abstract, like a sumi-e painting, and somehow nostalgic. The zebras depicted on WABISUKE pouches are more like decorative designs than realistic animals. Their appearance against the orange background is reminiscent of traditional Japanese colors such as ochre and persimmon tannins, and blends naturally into the Japanese atmosphere.

This is the moment when the life of a foreign country is inhabited in a Japanese vessel.

[The clasp purse, a form of memory]

The clasp technique was introduced from the West during the Meiji period and has since taken root in Japanese lifestyle and culture.
During the Showa era, clasps were widely used as wallets and small item holders, and the sound of them closing evokes nostalgic memories: grandmother's drawers, the coin purse from the candy store, the first New Year's money—the clasp is filled with memories that transcend generations.

WABISUKE's clasp pouch is a modern reinterpretation of that nostalgia.
The shape is traditional, yet the pattern is modern and playful. It has a beauty that transcends time and culture, like the Art Deco posters that adorn Kyoto's townhouses.

[Foreign lands and nostalgia - what zebras tell us]

Zebras are herd animals.
Each animal has a different stripe pattern, which serves as the key to identifying them. This is connected to the Japanese idea of ​​"harmony within the individual." Respecting individuality while creating a beautiful whole - this is the very essence of the Japanese aesthetic.

Zebras are also a symbol of the wild, embodying freedom and dynamism.
The fact that this animal is depicted on a clasp, a "closed container," is a kind of poetic paradox. An animal that symbolizes freedom encases keys and coins in everyday life. This embodies WABISUKE's philosophy that "there is poetry in the everyday."

[Poetry in the Everyday: A Story Woven by a Pouch]

What you put in this pouch is up to you.
Keys, lip balm, candy, earphones, medicine, a ring, or even a small wish... But this pouch not only holds things, it also holds the owner's very identity.

It sits quietly in your bag, accompanying you in your daily life.
The moment you pick it up on a busy morning, you feel like the zebras are about to take off.
When you open the purse on a train at dusk, you get the illusion that the wind from a faraway land is caressing your cheeks.

[WABISUKE's Philosophy: The Beauty of Poetic Practicality]

WABISUKE aims to create not just something that can be used, but something that tells a story when used.
This clasp pouch truly embodies this philosophy. The design, which incorporates exotic animals into a Japanese design, exudes both nostalgia and newness, and perfectly expresses the brand's poetic worldview.

Above all, this pouch serves as a "cultural crossroads."
The wonders of Edo, memories of the Showa era, and life in the Reiwa era are all sewn together in one piece of fabric.

[Conclusion: A Journey in the Palm of Your Hand]

This zebra print clasp pouch is a small travel accessory that fits in the palm of your hand.
It is a journey that begins in Edo in 1675, passes through the memories of the Showa era, and continues to your life in the Reiwa era.
The world of fabrics woven by WABISUKE is imbued with cultural memories and the breath of poetry.

A little bit of exoticism and nostalgia in your daily life.
And why not add your own story?