A corker: Inrou; carrying case by Ryosuke Fukasada and Rui Pereira.

Photos: Ryosuke Fukasada.

Portuguese designer Rui Pereira and Japanese designer Ryosuke Fukasada have combined traditions from both their countries to create “Inrou” a cork backpack.

Ancient Japanese garments lacked pockets, so valuables were carried in “inrou”, small pocket boxes that contained medicines and small items of value. They were suspended on the wearer by string. In Portugal, traditional cork containers, known as “tarro”were once used as insulated boxes to preserve food.

This prototype builds on both those traditions.

This interesting product is in essence a hard backpack. But it is not designed to carry ancient Japanese valuables nor food, its job is to preserve one of today's valued possessions: the laptop.

Carved from solid cork it was conceived as an entry in the Future of Cork competition.

Christopher C. Hill.

Gratitude to Spoon + Tamago.