Edo Decorative Papers The making of Edo decorative papers: a combination of splendor, refinement and tastefulness What is perhaps the most distinctive feature of these decorative papers is the great variety of techniques used in their making. While basically the papers are printed using woodblocks in the same way that Kyoto decorative papers are made, other techniques have also been developed including a stenciling and various brushwork techniques. They are in the main practiced by highly skilled specialists, who continue to make these papers in the traditional way. Described below are a few of the techniques employed in making three different kinds of paper. This page uses QuickTime. To download click on the icon. 1.Printed and Brushwork Papers Stage One Raised Pattern Printed Papers: First, a printing pigment is made by mixing mica powder or crushed sea shell with funori (a seaweed glue). This is then applied to a cut woodblock and a sheet of handmade Japanese paper is laid on the block to make an impression. Some pigment is then place in a sieve and lightly tapped to dust the block. The paper is laid down on the block and carefully rubbed with the palms of the hands to make the impression. This method of printing is characterized by the fact that a decorative paper with a rather softly defined and slightly raised design can be achieved. Stage Two Brushwork: Using a special brush, which is rather like a comb, a pattern of parallel lines can be applied across the paper, in one or two directions. Alternatively, a regular bush can be used to spread pigment mixed with powdered mica or crushed sea shell all over the surface of a sheet of paper, before a water drenched brush is used to produce an interesting graded effect. Stage Three Rubbing: One of the most representative techniques is to cover a sheet of paper with pigment mixed with mica powder or crushed sea shell and then, after more layers of pigment mixed with mica powder or crushed shell have been applied, the paper is rubbed in the hands to soften it. This produces an interesting wrinkled and cracked effect. Stage Four Gold and Silver Leaf: A woodblock is coated with a wheat starch paste and an impression is made on some handmade Japanese paper. Gold or silver leaf is then laid down on this and, when it is dry, any excess is removed. The paper is then finished with a coat of alum mixed into dissolved animal glue. 2. Stenciled Papers Stage One Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie Stenciled Designs: Using a persimmon tannin stencil paper, the stencil is layed on a handmade Japanese paper or on a piece of cloth and a pigment or dye is forced through the stencil with either a horsehair brush or a round stencil brush. The designs are sometimes simply done with mica powder or crushed shell, or are multicolored using six pigments. These papers are, however, characterized by their sharply defined patterns. Stage Two Multi-Stencil Designs: Simply speaking, a design is created by changing the stencils and colors to produce a pattern. This means it is necessary to use the stencils making up the design a number of times. Stage Three Relief Stenciling: Using a wooden spatula, pigment is loaded onto the stencil, which is cut from a thick stencil paper, to produce a kind of relief pattern. This technique is used for such things as family crests. Stage Four Gold and Silver Leaf: The technique is the same as that for the gold and silver leaf work for the printed and brushwork papers above, although a stencil is used instead of a woodblock. 3.Gilded Effect Papers These papers are often used for fusuma or room dividing screens with decorative effects done in gold and silver leaf. Stage One Fine Flake Effect: Flakes of gold or silver leaf are placed in a bamboo tube, which is then tapped or shaken over a prepared piece of handmade Japanese paper, to produce a random flake effect. Stage Two Flake Effect: Large and small flakes of gold and silver leaf are placed in a bamboo tube and sprinkled over a sheet of paper. The leaf is either cut with a bamboo knife, broken up by hand, or cut into long narrow strips. Stage Three Frosted Effect: Extremely fine flakes of gold or silver leaf in a weak solution of animal glue are applied with a brush to produce a frosted effect. Stage Four Painting: Typical Japanese style landscape impressions are painted directly onto handmade Japanese paper. Stage Five Click on the picture for QuickTime Movie Woodblock Rubbings: A cut woodblock is placed under a gilded effect paper, which is then rubbed with a wild boar tusk, to produce a kind of rubbing of the woodblock.