In Japan, papermaking techniques spread to almost the entire country during the Edo period(1603–1868), and paper was used in all areas of daily life, not just books. Even today, the …
A koyori is needed to hold together the bundles of paper that will become a book. The diverse types of washi each have their own characteristics, and at times washi …
Paper properties are affected not only by raw materials and the papermaking method, but also by the alignment of fibers, which is called “fiber orientation.” Here we’ll learn more about …
Let’s learn about book manufacturing from Ōiri Co., Ltd., a modern-day kyōji. First of all, what structures do books have? Let’s identify the different types of books and their binding …
When was paper disseminated to the world? And how? Let’s trace the path of dissemination from its origin in China, to Western Europe, and on to America. The world’s oldest …
Now that you’ve made your way through the course we would like to thank you for staying with us until the end. Watch the video to see Professor Sasaki and …
Week 2 will have given you an idea of the great variety of decorated papers used in traditional Japanese bookmaking. There are also many less common types of paper that …
Book are not always made only of paper. Book covers, for instance, were often made of fabric. Kire (fragments) are scraps of ancient fabric. In the video, the following types …
Unlike regular karakami, in which the blocks are first smeared with paint and then pressed onto the paper, the designs are applied to the paper by pressing it against the …
Next, we look at other kinds of paper that, like karakami, originally came to Japan from China. To make rōsen (wax-rubbed paper), gubiki paper (see Step 2.14) is placed on …
Prior to writing on them, the pages of traditional books were often decorated with painted motifs such as birds, plants, etc. using gold or silver paint (kindei and gindei). Because …
Another example of paper decorating techniques using minerals is called karakami (Chinese-style paper). Karakami The word Karakami originally referred to paper imported from China (Kara = Cathay) but over time …
In addition to gold and silver leaf, powdered mica (a transparent silicate called kira in Japanese) is also used as a material for paper decoration. Similarly, powder was also made …
Previous steps in the The Art of Washi Paper in Japanese Rare Books Course centre around decorating and dying techniques of simple paper. We will now discuss decoration techniques in …
The golden age of paper decoration in Japanese book history was the 12th century, in the final part of the Heian period. At this time, an enormous amount of wealth …