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.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐