Shoji Doors with Washi Paper.
Washi paper are handmade in Mino city in the Gifu Prefecture (about one and a half hour from Nagoya). The materials for the paper are 100% natural from a tree called “Naso Kouza” and “Tororoaoi”.
The Kozo is the bark from the Naso Kouza that is stripped from a one year old tree in the dead of winter. No deforestation is involved since the tree are cut a few inches from the base and just regrow for the next years harvest. Once the bark is stripped and tied in a certain way to keep is straight the black bark is peeled off until only the white flesh are left.
The bark is submerged in water for up to three days and all soluble material are washed away. This process used to be done in the Nagara river where the enzymes in the water and the sunlight will naturally bleach the fiber. Today these are done in special pools. The Mino area has very high quality water which is a the secret to superior paper.
After the bleaching the Kozo is boiled in pots filled with carbonate of soda for up to two hours to bleach the fiber even more.
After this process the impurities are taken in cold water by hand which is a tedious process.
The next step is beating the fiber into a pulp which used to be done by hand but these days it is done by a “beater machine”
Now you are ready to make your sheet of paper. The beaten Kozo pulp are placed in a large vat called a “Sukibune” and is mixed with sticky (snotty) liquid that is from the roots of a local plant.
You mixed this really well so that your fibers can intermingle to make a nice even paper. Here we are being taught by Master Washi maker Toshiko Ichihara. She has been a paper maker for 50 years.
After your paper is made and are stack into a pile it will be placed under a press to squeeze out all the water. This will take up to a day. Each sheet is taken of a pile and dried. In the old days this would have taken place naturally in the sun
today it is placed on a copper heater…
Making paper under the watchful eye of apprentice Paper maker to Toshiko Ichihara, Ayumi Mukaizawa.
This how it looks like when professionals are doing it:
Thanks to all the great people of Key West that attended and support my fundraiser so that I can participate in the Mino Japan art residency 2009! This little snippet by Mark Hedden
Niveus Canis
Hand stitched paper, vinyl, wood and papermache
48″ x 43″ x 27″
On display at Artformz from June to August 2009.
Charcoal, Tea, Coffee, Thread ©A Marais
Charcoal, Tea, Coffee, Thread ©A Marais
Charcoal, Tea, Coffee, Thread ©A Marais
