KASHIHARA, Nara -- The Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, has reconstructed a lacquered leather bag believed to have been imported from Tang China and owned by a low-ranking noble in Fujiwara-kyo, Japan's imperial capital from 694 to 710.

The institute worked with specialist craftspeople to re-create the artifact, which it has dubbed the "Asuka-Fujiwara pouch." The institute says the bag offers a glimpse into men's fashion during the era represented by the UNESCO World Heritage site "Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara."

The reconstruction will be on public display from Aug. 8 through Sept. 6 at the institute's museum in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, in western Japan.

The pouch measures 19 centimeters wide, 16 cm high and 8.5 cm thick, and is decorated with gilt-bronze fittings. It is believed to be a "hanno," a type of pouch worn at the waist by government officials in Tang China.

The artifact was discovered during excavations conducted by the institute from 1999 to 2001 at the Mitsuzuka Kofun burial-mound cluster in the prefectural city of Katsuragi, near the Takenouchi Kaido, an ancient government road. It was found with human remains inside a 1.25-meter-long wooden burial chest.

Although the burial site lies outside Fujiwara-kyo, its location along the ancient government road and other evidence suggest that the person buried there was a low-ranking noble.

The institute analyzed the leather bag using computed tomography, or CT scanning, and produced design drawings. Yamamoto Bag Workshop, a Kashihara-based maker of traditional Japanese school backpacks known as "randoseru," assisted with the reconstruction.

The bag was re-created in its ancient form using deerskin coated with black lacquer, custom-made metal fittings and braided cords.

"We hope visitors will see this outstanding artifact, which illustrates exchanges between Asuka-Fujiwara and Tang China," said Kosaku Okabayashi, an academic adviser to the institute.

The excavated leather bag is also on permanent display at the institute's museum. The museum is closed on Mondays. For inquiries, call 0744-24-1185. Adult admission is 400 yen (about $2.50).

Yamamoto Bag Workshop is also considering producing a version for sale as an Asuka-Fujiwara souvenir.

(Japanese original by Narumi Minagi, Kashihara Resident Bureau)