Kuro no Senki Volume 1 Chapter 7

Washi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see . This article needs additional citations for . Please help improve this article by . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2013) () The Sugiharagami (杉原紙), a kind of washi Origami cranes made of washi. Example of making washi at pref.
makes washi for .

Washi (和紙) is traditional j.a.panese . The word "washi" comes from wa meaning 'j.a.panese' and shi meaning 'paper'. The term is used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand and made in the traditional manner. Washi is made using fibers from the inner bark of the tree, the shrub (Edgeworthia chrysantha), or the (kōzo) bush. [1] As a it registered as a UNESCO .[2]

Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from , and is used in many traditional arts. , , and were all produced using washi. Washi was also used to make various everyday goods like clothes, household goods, and toys as well as vestments and ritual objects for priests and statues of . It was even used to make that were given to winners in the . Several kinds of washi, referred to collectively as , are used in the conservation and mending of books.

Contents 1 Manufacture 2 Types 3 Applications 3.1 Art 3.2 Clothing 3.3 Cuisine 3.4 Furniture 3.5 Objects 3.6 Events 3.7 Weaponry 4 Manufacturers 5 See also 6 Notes and references 7 Further reading 8 External links

Manufacture[]

Washi is produced in a way similar to that of ordinary paper, but relies heavily on manual methods. It involves a long and intricate process that is often undertaken in the cold weather of winter, as pure, cold running water is essential to the production of washi. Cold inhibits , preventing the decomposition of the . Cold also makes the fibres contract, producing a crisp feel to the paper. It is traditionally the winter work of farmers, a task that supplemented a farmer's income.

Kozo, a type of , is the most commonly used fiber in making j.a.panese paper. The kozo branches are boiled and stripped of their outer bark, and then dried. The fibers are then boiled with to remove the , and , and then placed in running water to remove the lye. The fibers are then (either with chemicals or naturally, by placing it in a protected area of a stream) and any remaining impurities in the fibers are picked out by hand. The kozo is laid on a rock or board and beaten.

Wet b.a.l.l.s of pulp are mixed in a vat with water (and, in some cases, neri, which is a mucilaginous material made from the roots of the ) and one of two traditional methods of paper making (nagashi-zuki or tame-zuki) is employed. In both methods, pulp is scooped onto a screen and shaken to spread the fibers evenly. Nagashi-zuki (which uses neri in the vat) produces a thinner paper, while tame-zuki (which does not use neri) produces a thicker paper.

Types[] See also:

With enough processing, almost any gra.s.s or tree can be made into a washi. Gampi, mitsumata, and paper mulberry are three popular sources.[3]

Ganpishi (雁皮紙) - In ancient times, it was called Hishi (斐紙). Ganpishi has a smooth, shiny surface and is used for books and crafts. (楮紙) - Kōzogami is made from paper mulberry and is the most widely made type of washi. It has a toughness closer to cloth than to ordinary paper and does not weaken significantly when treated to be water-resistant. Mitsumatagami (三椏紙) - Mitsumatagami has an ivory-colored, fine surface and is used for as well as printing. It was used to print paper money in Meiji period. Applications[]

Until the early 20th century, the j.a.panese used washi in applications where Western style paper or other materials are currently used. This is partly because washi was the only type of paper available at that time in j.a.pan, but also because the unique characteristics of washi made it a better material. The different uses of washi include:

Art[]  - a method of stenciling or screenprinting paper with traditional j.a.panese designs  - the art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō printings  - pure-fiber washi paper spun into thread  - a method of dyeing fabrics using a resist paste Kitemaking (j.a.panese wood printing) (j.a.panese paintings)  - the art of paper folding  - several methods of dyeing cloth with a pattern  - washi that has been spun into yarn (kami-ito) and woven into cloth  - the art of calligraphy  - the art of Ink wash painting  - a form of paper marbling  - a genre of woodblock prints  - covering eggs with washi paper  - using Washi for "painting" pictures Clothing[] Cuisine tsection-bracket">[] Furniture[] Objects[] -Gushi, the washi whisk used for ritual purification by Shinto priests . for Shinto Printing Events[] Weaponry[] Manufacturers[] Gundo gami () Awa washi () Ecchu washi () Echizen washi () () () Sekisyū washi () Sugihara gami () Tosa washi () Yame washi () Uchiyama gami () See also[] Notes and references[] ^ Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the world of j.a.panese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International.  .  ^ ^ Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the world of j.a.panese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International.  .  Further reading[] Hughes, Sukey (1978). Washi: the World of j.a.panese paper. Tokyo: Kodansha International.  .  f.u.kushima, Kurio (1991). Handbook on the Art of Washi. All j.a.pan Handmade Washi a.s.sociation.  External links[] . .  e / Types Washi Materials Manufacture and process Industry     : Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t.i.tle=Washi&oldid=829359598" : Hidden categories: