Many
centuries ago the Japanese mastered the art of making paper or washi. In fact,
their handmade mulberry paper is regarded as the world’s strongest natural
paper. What gives it its strength is that it is comprised of very long fibers
of the inner bark of the kozo plant, which is in the mulberry family.
Video about the manufacturing of washi
Video about the manufacturing of washi
While
manufacturers in other countries, such as Nepal and Thailand, make mulberry
paper too, as a buyer, you should beware. As the saying goes, you only get what
you pay for. With that in mind, you will pay a premium for Japanese mulberry
paper. Many artists feel that it is
worth every penny.
 |
| Note the beautifully subtle gradation of colors in the print by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist, Hiroshige. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, PD-1923.) |
Perhaps
what makes Japanese kozo paper unique and different from other handmade papers
is the species of mulberry bush grown in Japan that gives it its unmatched
strength. Maybe it’s the country’s growing conditions, which make their plants
and their paper unique. Or it could be the Japanese obsession with process
control and their pride in workmanship that makes kozo paper the printer’s
choice for woodblock printing.
How
the Japanese make mulberry paper has not changed much in a thousand years. It
is this painstaking attention to detail that makes production so complex, so
time consuming and so labor intensive that ensures that the paper made is the
highest quality, as well as being the highest priced product. To help you appreciate why this paper is
highly regarded, I will describe the craftsmanship of Japanese paper making.
The Japanese Paper Making Process.
The
first step in making this paper is harvesting the limbs of the kozo bush early
in the year. After cutting the limbs to one meter lengths, the wood is steamed
to loosen the bark from the wood. The bark is then stripped by hand from the
branch. After the inner bark is separated from the outer bark, it is soaked in
clean water for several days, which helps turn it white.
The next step is to soften the bark by boiling it in a large cauldron for several hours. Once again the bark is rinsed in water, while craftsmen inspect the pieces and carefully remove any impurities from the fibers. This is a very time consuming procedure.
Using a huge stick or wooden mallet, the bark is literally beaten to a pulp, breaking the fibers apart. The pulp is then soaked in a tub of water. Using a frame which supports a bamboo screen, the fibers are scooped up.
By shaking the tray of this slurry back and forth and from side to side the fibers are evenly distributed over the screen, while the water drips back into the tub. The deckle, which holds the screen in the frame, is removed, allowing the artisan to transfer the wet sheet of fibers to a stack of other sheets.
Carefully, the sheets are squeezed in a large press to remove the excess water. After the water drains off in this compression process, the individual sheets are removed from the stack and smoothed onto a flat drying board using a brush. The boards are then arranged outside so the paper can dry in the sun, which also bleaches the sheet. After drying the sheets are inspected and products with defects are sorted based on the thickness and color of the sheet. Any sheets with imperfections are culled from the lot.
The next step is to soften the bark by boiling it in a large cauldron for several hours. Once again the bark is rinsed in water, while craftsmen inspect the pieces and carefully remove any impurities from the fibers. This is a very time consuming procedure.
Using a huge stick or wooden mallet, the bark is literally beaten to a pulp, breaking the fibers apart. The pulp is then soaked in a tub of water. Using a frame which supports a bamboo screen, the fibers are scooped up.
By shaking the tray of this slurry back and forth and from side to side the fibers are evenly distributed over the screen, while the water drips back into the tub. The deckle, which holds the screen in the frame, is removed, allowing the artisan to transfer the wet sheet of fibers to a stack of other sheets.
Carefully, the sheets are squeezed in a large press to remove the excess water. After the water drains off in this compression process, the individual sheets are removed from the stack and smoothed onto a flat drying board using a brush. The boards are then arranged outside so the paper can dry in the sun, which also bleaches the sheet. After drying the sheets are inspected and products with defects are sorted based on the thickness and color of the sheet. Any sheets with imperfections are culled from the lot.
 |
Fine Wind, Clear Morning (c. 1849) is a woodblock print
by
Hokusai at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
(Public Domain PD-1923).
|
While
my description may seem long and complex, the actual processes are much more
involved. The Japanese art of paper making by hand can easily take a
week. Today this traditional process of making washi, which has been passed
down from one generation to the next, is only practiced in a handful of places
in Japan. Understandably it has been difficult to keep the younger generation
down on the farm making paper, once they have been to the big city and are
dazzled by the bright lights. For now, the traditional way will continue as
long as artists appreciate the value of quality products.
While
you can certainly find deals on mulberry paper at a much lower price, just be
aware that there are no substitutes when it comes to quality. In the end, those
bargain papers may be no bargain at all.
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About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
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