PAPER

[pg 21]

Japanese paper, of the kinds used for artistic purposes, is made from the inner bark of various plants, chiefly the Broussonetia Papyrifera, Edgeworthia Papyrifera and Wickstrœmia Canescens. The young shoots of the plant are cut in the withy stage; the fibre freed from the wood, and the skin and green parts of the bark, and edges of knot-holes and other defective parts are cut out. The selected residuum is then laid in running water for several days, and boiled in an iron kettle with lye, till it is quite soft and pulpy. The pulp is next washed with fresh water until the water runs off without discolouration. The process of dealing with this pulp does not greatly differ in principle from the European method; except that the scoop-net is not of wire, but of fine parallel bamboo splints or silk net toughened with Shibu (a preparation containing a large proportion of tannic acid). There is no watermark in Japanese paper; but patterns are sometimes produced by arrangements of bamboo splints woven, in net fashion, with silk or hemp thread (Mon-shi—patterned paper). The Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design possesses a collection of specimens of various Japanese papers.

The fine quality of the colours in old Japanese colour-prints is due, to a considerable extent, to the nature of the paper and especially to its tough but highly absorbent character.