AICCM Bulletin Vol 30, 2007 51

Introduction

In the brief time that I have been involved in the conservation profession I have noticed that although there is an appreciation among conservators of Japanese calligraphy, Shodo, there is a very limited knowledge of the terminology, types of materials and artistic choices that calligraphy artists employ in the creation of their works. As a student of Shodo and a paper conservator, it is my intent to provide a brief outline of all of these factors for those working within the conservation pro-fession. All foreign words are Japanese, unless otherwise stated, and have been italicised in roman script; Japanese characters are included where relevant. While there are many papers available, this paper concentrates upon those most commonly used. Much of the information contained here has come from discussions with calligra-phers in Japan and retailers of calligraphy papers, as well as through personal experience using the materials.

Japanese calligraphy papers and terminology

Calligraphy has been a valued art form in Asia for centuries. Paper and silk have been the two primary sup-ports used for its expression. Understood as a method of demonstrating the calligrapher’s skill, cultural refinement and inner character, it is a melding of the written and the visual: the meaning-laden words and aesthetic space, negative and positive; the tension of the line or the bleed-ing of the ink; and importantly, the contrast between the paper and the ink and the nuances of tone that can be produced. While the artist will inevitably leave the traces of their own inner character1, they will incorporate a

creative understanding of meaning into the script as well. While it is possible to understand a work of calligraphy either aesthetically alone or as a poem by the words alone, the art of calligraphy attempts to meld the two together. To these ends calligraphers choose their papers, inks and brushes with great care, which has led to the great variety of materials available today. Among the most popular papers for Shodo are the Gasenshi papers, Kana papers, Torinoko, various practice papers including the Toushi papers. These different papers each provide different han-dling properties, while some are differentiated by other factors of manufacture. Indeed, papers can be known by various names according to where they are produced, the ingredients, the thickness, size, the process of manufac-ture or decoration, the style of calligraphy that will be done on them or by a name chosen by the retailer.

In executing calligraphic work in most styles other than Kana2, the artist often aims to use the twin characteristics of Nijimi (滲み), the bleeding of the ink, and Kasure (掠れ), the dry, gestural brushing of the ink, as expressive tools in the creation of their work, as well as the tone of the ink upon the paper. This is a gross simplification; how ever, in terms of the relationship of the support to the media it is important. One of the most popular types of paper is the Gasenshi papers, whose absorptive quality, and the way in which the tone of Nijimi is expressed in these papers, is one of their defining characteristics and a reason for their popu-larity in the execution of Kanji Shodo3.

History

The history of calligraphy, Shodo (書道), in Japan is intrinsically linked to China. Initially being without a

Papers used in Japanese calligraphy

Travis Taylor

<travtora@gmail.com>

AbstractWhile within the conservation community there is a great appreciation of the materials used in Japanese calligraphy,

I have found that there isn’t available information concerning the types of papers used, terminology and reasons

artists choose certain materials over others. While having been fortunate enough to have studied Japanese

calligraphy and paper conservation it is the intent of this paper to outline these factors for those working in the

paper conservation field. As much of the information was gathered from my personal practice, and through

conversation with retailers and calligraphers, this is not intended to be an authorative treatise, rather a personal

account detailing the materials, papers and their uses.

Keywords: gampi, gasenshi, toushi, Japanese calligraphy paper, Japanese paper, kozo, mitsumata, senshi, shodo,

shuuji, soushokushi, washi.

52

script of their own, the Japanese adopted the Chinese ideographic script in the Asuka (552–646AD) and Nara periods (646–794AD). In Japanese these characters are called Kanji. It was also at this time that papermaking was introduced to the country. With the introduction of the written language the Japanese adopted the five main styles of Kanji Shodo that continue to be practised to this day. Generally they are, from oldest in development to the latest: Tensho (Seal script 添書), Reisho (Scribe script 隷書), Kaisho (楷書 Block script), Gyosho (行書 Cursive script) and Sosho (草書 Grass script). The application of each of these styles can vary greatly between artists, from characters with no Kasure or Nijimi and fine elegant lines, to wildly gestural, explosions of ink on paper. There are other styles, including the Edomoji4 styles that are unique to Japan, and the influences of particular schools, Ryu or Ha, that influence how a calligrapher will complete a work. When writing in these styles, Japanese calligra-phers often write sayings, poems or text from traditional Chinese sources, while if they wish to use Japanese, they have to incorporate some of Japan’s phonetic scripts: Hiragana and Katakana.

Although the Japanese adopted the Chinese characters they found the use of Kanji alone incompatible with the grammatical structure of their language, so they developed two phonetic scripts to accommodate the differences. These two scripts, Hiragana and Katakana were developed out of the simplifications and modifications of kanji characters that takes place when writing in Sosho, Grass script, in the Heian Period (794–1185), or through the modification of the basic strokes of Kaisho in the case of Katakana. While Hiragana is used for grammar and some words, Katakana is usually reserved for foreign words and words that the writer wishes to be read with strong emphasis.

As such, Japanese Shodo employs all of the styles of Chinese calligraphy, as well as Hiragana-only Shodo, which is termed Kana. As Kana was developed first by women writing courtly poems and letters, the style and application differ in that Kasure and Nijimi are avoided in favour of fine, delicate lines often written on decorated papers, giving the style the impression of feminine refinement.

Shodo papers in Japan can therefore be vaguely divided into those used for Kanji Shodo, and those used for Kana Shodo. While Kanji Shodo papers vary in effect upon the ink, Kana Shodo papers are generally uniform in requiring minimal Kasure or Nijimi, but they do vary greatly in their manner of decoration or design. The list of papers discussed below is simply an introduction to some of the types of paper and is by no means complete.

Papers

Calligraphy papers have been composed of a wide variety of fibre types, each type greatly affecting the

working properties of the final paper. While bast fibres of Kozo, Gampi and Mitsumata are the most commonly used in paper production, bamboo and rice straw were also frequently added, while today, softwood pulp is fre-quently added to reduce cost and to emulate the effect of rice straw and bamboo which are often time-consuming in their processing.

Fibre selection is critical for the working properties of the paper. The bast fibres provide a thin but strong paper, and the addition of rice straw or bamboo causes the ink to bleed smoothly, rapidly and with soft edges. In paper composed mostly of bast fibres, the ink absorbs more slowly, the ink edges are rougher and the ink tone can appear dull and flat (Hori, 2002), while those of mostly rice straw or bamboo are usually weak and prone to discolour more easily with age. Pure bast fibre papers are generally sized to help prevent an irregular bleeding of the ink, and are best used for works that do not require Nijimi, such as orthodox Kaisho script used in the tran-scription of Buddhist scriptures or when writing Kana. When executing Kanji, Shodo calligraphers generally appreciate a gentle bleeding of the ink with smooth edges, showing the tone of the ink used, while at the same time wanting the paper to be strong and long lasting.

Senshi (宣紙), pronounced Xuanzhi in Chinese, papers have for the longest time been regarded in both China and Japan as being of the highest quality and most appropriate for making high-quality works of Kanji calligraphy. Senshi papers, the papers that all Gasenshi papers emulate, uses the comparatively short bast fibres from the blue sandalwood tree (Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim), originally sourced from Jing County5 in Anhui Province, China. This tree does not grow in Japan, forcing Japanese papermakers to substitute the blue sandalwood with Gampi (雁皮

Diplomorpha canescen), Mitsumata (三椏 Edgeworthia papyrifera) and Kozo (楮 Broussonetia papyrifera) fibres mixed with rice straw or bamboo to produce a paper that holds the ink in a similar fashion. In Japan these papers are known as Gasenshi (画仙紙6) papers. The increased usage of Gasenshi papers is linked to the growing popularity through the Edo period (1603–1867) of calligraphy employing Nijimi expres-sively (Hori, 2002). Japan had imported Senshi paper from China, and produced its own Gasenshi papers, but with WWII and the cessation of trade with China until 1972, Japanese papermakers had to produce a paper of equal quality to what had previously been imported. Today, to avoid confusion between the Japanese and Chinese papers, in Japanese the Chinese-produced paper is called Hongasen (本画仙7) or Senshi (宣紙), and the Japanese called Wagasen8, and the term Gasenshi can refer to paper from either coun-try with similar working properties. However, some

53

paper retailers refer only to papers produced in Anhui Province in China as Senshi, and all other Chinese-produced papers of this type as Hongasen. All of these names are used in Japan, however, in China different names and characters may be used when referring to these papers.

The Toushi (唐紙9) group of papers, a cheaper bam-boo paper produced in the south of China, was appreci-ated for its yellowish ‘aged’ paper appearance10, but cer-tainly not for its rough surface, inability to display the tone of the ink well or tendency to discolour with age. While bamboo is the main ingredient, other fibres such as rice, cotton stalk or paper mulberry are sometimes added to increase the strength or handling properties of the paper. This paper is generally produced in small sheets and used for practice only; it is not considered a high quality paper.

For executing works in Kana, a hard paper that allows little or no Nijimi is preferred as the fine lines of this style would otherwise be obscured or lost. The most famous Kana paper is Torinoko11 (鳥の子) paper, made from Gampi fibres, a smooth, glossy-surfaced paper. Torinoko papers are often used with the paper having been dyed with a printed design or with gold imprinted upon the surface or other such decoration.

Balancing the types of fibres used in the paper critically affects the working properties, and cost, of the resultant paper, and as such many calligraphy papers manufactured

today are composite-fibre papers, often incorporating softwood pulp, manila hemp or other fibres to reduce the cost of otherwise expensive fibre types.

Size, ply and location

Papers are sold in various plies and sizes, with the standard traditional sizes often influencing the dimen-sions of the finished artwork. Traditional sizes for producing calligraphy are usually halves, quarters or less of the size of a traditional full sheet, which is called a Zenshi (全紙) for Kanji papers, and Kaishi (懐紙) for Kana papers. The main difference between papers used for Kanji and Kana Shodo is that generally Kana Shodo uses far smaller sheets, and papers that have been deco-rated. As such Kana Shodo generally is sold in Kaishi, Hanshi and Tanzaku sizes, and while Kanji Shodo also uses these sizes except for Kaishi, it is more likely to use larger sizes such as Hansetsu, which is a common size used in hanging scrolls. See Table 1 for more detail on the sizes frequently sold and used.

Shodo papers can be produced in single, double and triple ply, which is very common amongst the Gasenshi papers. The plies are formed during manufacture when layers of pulp are left to settle on the screen. Artists choose varying thickness of paper depending on per-sonal preference or the thickness of the ink being used. A single-ply sheet is called Tansen (単宣), while a paper

formed from a layer of two sheets is called Nisoushi (二層紙) or Kyousen (筴箋), and a three-ply sheet is called Sansoushi (三層紙).

Within Japan there are areas famous for handmade paper production, the best-known areas are in Fukui Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture. Indeed, papers produced in different regions of Japan are named according to the region. The names of these regions when used in relation to handmade paper, are the same as those used during the Edo period (1603-1867). So, Tottori Prefecture is known as Inshu (因州), Fukui Prefecture is Echizen (越前), Ehime Prefecture is known as Iyo (伊予), and Yamanashi Prefecture is Koushuu (甲州). Other papermaking areas of production are Kurotani in Kyoto Prefecture, Mino in Gifu Pefecture and Sekishu from Shimane Prefecture. While certain regions are famous for producing certain types of paper, for example Minogami from Gifu is a type of Kozo-based paper used in Ukiyo-E print-making, in many instances it only signifies the region in which the paper was produced.

While there may appear to be a huge

Table 1. Paper sizes

Romaji CharactersAlso known as

Used for Size (mm)

Zenshi 全紙 Kanji 1360 x 700

Hansetsu 半切 Kanji 1360 x 350

Hanshi 半紙 Kanji & Kana 350 x 250

Rokushaku 六尺 Daigasen Kanji 1800 x 960

Goshaku 五尺 Chuugasen Kanji 1500 x 800

Yonshaku 四尺 Shougasen Kanji 1350 x 690

Renochi 聯落 Kanji 1350 x 525

Kaishi 懐紙 Futokuroshi Kana 485 x 364

Hankaishi 半壊紙 Kana 242.5 x 364

NamihabaTanzaku

並幅短冊 Kana 364 x 61

HirohabaTanzaku

広幅短冊 Kana 364 x 76

Shikishi 色紙 Kanji & Kana 182 x 213

Mameshikishi 豆色紙 Kana 91 x 106

Hoshoshi 奉書紙 Kanji 530 x 393

54

number of paper manufacturers in Japan producing a wide variety of Wagasen and other types of Shodo papers, the number of handmade paper manufacturers has been in steady decline. After the opening of Japan to the West in 1868, Japanese mechanised paper-making began in 1874 (AJHWA, 1991). Initially as demand increased handmade paper production also increased, reaching a peak in 1901 when the govern-ment recorded 68,562 households making handmade paper. However, since then there has been a gradual replacement of traditional papers with western style papers in many aspects of Japanese life, the importa-tion of cheaper foreign produced handmade paper, and the migration of young people away from the rural areas that traditionally made paper to the cites has led to a steady decline in handmade paper production. Due to these changes there were only 392 households involved in traditional handmade papermaking in 2001 (AJHWA website, 2007). This decline in numbers of producers has also led to a decline in the number of specialty papers produced. Currently, handmade papermaking in Japan is concentrated in a hand-ful of regions, of which Inshu, in Tottori Prefecture and Echizen in Fukui Prefecture produce the largest amount of handmade paper for calligraphy in Japan.

Kanji Shodo Papers

There is a wide variety of Kanji Shodo papers pro-duced in China and Japan, each with differing handling properties. While traditionally Kozo, Mitsumata, Gampi and hemp fibres were used, frequently mixed with bam-boo or rice straw, today there is an increased usage of sulfite or recycled pulps, Manila hemp or other fibres to cut the production costs. See Table 2 for descriptions of some of the working properties of these papers.

Senshi

Originally, Senshi papers were produced from the bast fibre of the blue sandalwood tree, although today it is a mixed fibre paper also often containing rice straw, other bast fibres such as paper-mulberry and grasses. The most famous brands of Senshi is that pro-duced by the Red Star company of Anhui Province. Red Star Senshi is a smooth white paper, the ink bleeds smoothly with both good Kasure and good Nijimi, while the tones of the ink are easily appreciable. This brand of Senshi is made from blue sandalwood fibres mixed with rice straw, and paper mulberry fibres. However, there are a wide variety of Chinese-produced Senshi papers with a wide range of working properties dependant on the quality and content of ingredients, thickness and size.

Kozo

Kozoshi, also known as Choshi (楮紙) is made from the bast fibres of the paper mulberry. Pure Kozo papers are generally not used for Shodo unless sized, as the long fibres make the bleeding uncontrollably rough around the edges, and lighter inks appears dull and flat. Hoshoshi (奉書紙), often produced in Fukui Prefecture, is a Kozo paper traditionally used for formal docu-ments and printmaking, although today some softwood pulp is usually included. Other types of Kozoshi are Sugiharagami from Hyogo Prefecture, Nishinouchi from Ibaraki, Minoshi from Gifu and Senkashi from Ehime Prefecture. These types of paper are best used for Kana or for Kanji Shodo that doesn’t require Nijimi. Instead, Kanji Shodo papers containing Kozo are more likely made of a combination of rice straw, bamboo or pulp and paper mulberry fibres in which the Nijimi bleeds softly from the character leaving a halo.

Gampi

Gampi paper is famously known for its use as Torinoko (鳥の子) paper, and with Kana Shodo. Torinoko, which translates to ‘bird’s child’, is so named because of its semi-transparent, egg-like surface. Gampi papers are expensive as the bush is difficult to cultivate, and has traditionally been sourced from wild grow-ing plants (Morita, 2006). Ink on this paper does not bleed easily and the paper is known to shrink and wrinkle with water or heavy ink, hence making it more appropriate for fine lines, such as with Kana or for the transcription of Buddhist scriptures. Indeed, often Buddhist scriptures traditionally were done on Torinoko paper that had been treated with a dye from the inner bark of the Kihada tree, which was thought to make it more resistant to insect attack. Today it is graded by the proportion of Gampi fibres in the paper. Torinoko with added Kozo fibres is known as Hankusa-torinoko (半草鳥の子), and Torinoko made of softwood pulp instead of Gampi is called Shin-torinoko (新鳥の子12). A more versatile Kanji Shodo paper is made by mixing the Gampi fibres with hemp, rice straw or bamboo, often producing a paper that is white, semi-transparent and good for both Kasure and Nijimi. These mixed-fibre Gampi Gasenshi papers suit the use of very dark ink, or highly diluted light ink as they are good at showing the tone of the ink, and so are also used in ink painting.

Mitsumata

In contrast to pure Kozo papers, pure Mitsumata papers are very expensive, partly due to the time required in cultivating the plant. Compared to paper

55

mulberry and Gampi the fibres of the Mitsumata have only been used for a relatively short time, with the earliest known usage being a letter dating from 1598 (Morita, 2006). It has a smoother, shinier surface than the pure Gampi or Kozo papers and is naturally a light-brown colour. Pure Mitsumata paper subtly displays Nijimi far more effectively than the pure Kozo or Gampi papers. The chain and laid lines are quite clearly visible in this paper, and artists take advantage of these lines by using slightly thinner ink. Gasenshi papers made with mixing Mitsumata with rice straw or bamboo, Mitsumata/Wara Gasenshi (三椏・藁　

画仙紙), work well with diluted ink, and show Kasure very well, although the amount of Nijimi is limited. It shows dramatic and expressive use of the brush well, and so this paper works well for large-character works.

Bamboo

Also known as Chikushi, these cheap papers which use bamboo as the main ingredient are known as Toushi (唐紙). Though they have a rough surface and tend toward weakness and discolouration with age, they are appreci-ated for their yellowish paper appearance and ability to show Kasure well. The natural colour of this paper is also appreciated by Zen monks and by those producing cal-ligraphy for tea ceremony rooms, known as Chagake (茶掛). Toushi papers are rarely produced today due to the migration of skilled workers away from the rural areas in southern China that traditionally produced these papers. The two most commonly used types of bamboo for mak-ing paper are Keichiku (桂竹) and the thick-stemmed Mousouchiku (孟宗竹) (Morita, 2006), both of which are sourced from southern China. Since Kasure comes out beautifully in this paper it is suitable for single large char-acters, poem calligraphy, but not for Kana. More com-monly bamboo is used in paper made by mixing it with bast fibres such as Mitsumata, Gampi or Kozo.

Hemp

There are also papers produced of hemp, or with a mixture of hemp and rice straw and are known as Mashi (麻紙). However, in Japan any paper made with hemp, flax, or jute will be refered to as a hemp paper. Hemp papers, Asa Gasenshi (麻　画仙紙), are quite thick with a low sheen. Their fibres are comparatively short as they have been heavily beaten. This hemp-based paper displays the tone and colour of the ink very well, and is often used in ink painting. Other Gasenshi papers are made with hemp, often mixed with rice straw, Igusa rushes (藺草) and Mitsumata. Although weaker than other Japanese papers this paper provides excellent Nijimi and Kasure and is best for large-character Kanji Shodo.

Kana Shodo papers

Undecorated Kana Shodo papers

While any paper could be used for Kana calligraphy, the particular requirement of the paper not bleeding easily so as to show the fine strokes of this style, and the tradition of using decorated papers has led to the creation of specific papers for Kana calligraphy. Ryoushi papers (料紙) are commonly used with Kana calligra-phy, and can be made from a wide variety of ingredients, such as Kozo, Mitsumata, Gampi, hemp and sulphite softwood pulp. They were traditionally sized with Dousa, a mixture of alum and gelatine, or coated with a mix of Gofun (胡粉), a ground shell calcium carbon-ate mixture, and gelatine. Today, many of the papers are composite fibre papers that are internally sized with rosin, gelatine, starch or modified cellulose. Torinoko paper is the most famous Kana paper, and is also often decorated, although there are other types of undecorated Kana papers, including those using imported Thai Kozo fibres, or mixtures of rice straw and softwood pulp.

Decorated Kana Shodo papers

Within Kana calligraphy there is a long tradition of using decorated papers, dating back to the Heian period, when poetry and letters written on highly decorated papers were used by courtiers and courtly ladies. This was at the time when the Kana script was being devel-oped, and the accepted norms of Kana Shodo popular-ised. There are a number of traditions for dyeing and decorating papers, of which I will discuss a few. See Table 3 for descriptions of some of these papers.

Papers are frequently dyed, and are known as Senshokushi (染色紙). When dyed with a brush they are Hakezome (刷毛染), or through dipping the paper Hikizome (引染) or Tsukezome (漬染). Traditionally, organic dyes from sources such as roots or barks were used, although today synthetic dyes are used. As well as to add colour, papers were dyed to perfume it or to protect from insect attack, depending upon the dye used. Traditional organic dyes have included purple extracted from the secretions of a sea snail, purple from the roots of the Murasaki grass, yellow from the bark of the Kihada tree and browns made from the ground per-fumed barks of sandalwood or aloeswood trees.

Decorated papers can be created by adding differ-ently dyed fibres in the process of forming the sheet. As the sheet is being pulled, fibres dyed with indigo or Murasaki grass root are added to the screen and manip-ulated to form patterns. These papers are sometimes referred to as Senizomesoshokushi (繊維染装飾紙). Usually blue or purple fibres are added as a final layer when forming an otherwise white sheet and they would be mixed to form patterns such as of clouds, waves,

56

Table 2. Paper types

Romaji Japanese Ingredients Comments

Senshi 宣紙 Blue Sandalwood, rice straw, bamboo

A Chinese produced smooth white paper which displays Nijimi and Kasure beautifully. Used for Kanji Shodo only.See notes

Jun Kozo 純楮 Kozo (Paper mulberry)

Displays Nijimi poorly, and is therefore used sized. Famous types of Choshi are Hoshougami and Minogami. The paper is used for formal writing, Kanji Shodo with no Nijimi and transcribing Buddhist scriptures.

Kozo Gasenshi 楮画仙紙 Kozo, rice straw, bamboo

A paper with excellent Nijimi and Kasure. The Nijimi bleeds out softly, leaving a halo around the characters. Used for Kanji Shodo.

Honsousen 本草箋 Kozo, pulp This paper is rather poor at displaying Nijimi, but excellent when used to display Kasure. This paper is also sometimes known as Kana you Gasenshi (仮名用画仙紙), literally meaning ‘Gasenshi you can use with Kana’ as it is best used with thinner lines.

Gampi Gasenshi 雁皮　画仙紙 Gampi, rice straw, bamboo

This yellowish paper absorbs the ink slowly. Darker ink is generally used as lighter ink can appear flat and be hard to see clearly.

Gampi/Asa Gasenshi

雁皮/麻　画

仙紙Gampi/hemp A white semi-transparent paper that is good for both Kasure and

Nijimi, it suits the use of very dark ink, or highly diluted light ink.

Torinoko 鳥の子 Gampi A paper known for being poor at Nijimi. Traditionally it was used for the hand copying of Buddhist sutras as it was felt to be less likely to discolour or be attacked by insects. It shrinks and wrinkle with water or with a heavy application of ink; hence it is best used for works with fine strokes, such as letters, copying scriptures and Kana Shodo.

Jun Mitsumatashi 純三椏紙 Mitsumata A natural light brown colour, this paper subtly diplays Nijimi far more effectively than the pure Kozo or Gampi papers. Used for Kanji Shodo.

Mitsumata Gasenshi

三椏画仙紙 Mitsumata, rice straw, bamboo

This paper works well with diluted ink, and shows Kasure very well, although the amount of Nijimi is limited. It shows dramatic and expressive use of the brush well. As such, this paper works well for large character works.

Chikushi 竹紙 Bamboo The Kasure is very nice in this paper. This paper is suitable for single large characters, poem calligraphy, but not for Kana.

Toushi 唐紙 Bamboo A light brown paper often used for practice that is best used with a dark ink. Used for Kanji Shodo.

Asa Gasenshi 麻　画仙紙 Hemp This paper is quite thick with a low sheen. Its fibres are comparatively short as they have been heavily beaten. The Nijimi and Kasure are both good with this paper. This paper displays the tone and colour of the ink very well, and is often used in ink painting.

Ryoushi 料紙 Pulp, various These papers are sized papers that are used for Kana Shodo. These papers are frequently decorated.

smoke or simply dots (Iwano, 2006). Papers in which designs have been printed with

crushed mica or pigments that have been mixed with gelatine or Gofun13 are called Karakami (唐紙14), as they were first imported from China, although today they are made in Japan. Paper of this type, not using mica or pig-ments, is called Karazurigami (空摺紙) and is embossed with the design. Karakami papers are also known as Kouzeigami (行成紙), named after the famous Japanese poet Fujiwara Kouzei (972–1027), who used a simi-lar paper to write his poetry on. Common designs are of cranes in flight, bamboo, geometric designs, waves, clouds etc. Although resist methods of dyeing are used with paper, they are not commonly used with calligra-phy papers.

Papers that have been decorated with gold and/or

silver leaf are called Kinginsoushokushi (金銀装飾紙) (Morita, 2006). The gold or silver leaf can be applied to the paper cut into pieces or shapes, Kirihaku (切箔), fine strands, Noge (野毛), or a fine powder, Sunago (砂子). Kinsengami (金潜紙) and Ginsengami (銀潜紙) are papers in which a very thin layer of gold or silver has been applied and appears to sink under the surface of the paper. And with Kirarahari (雲母張り) the surface has been coated with a mixture of mica and adhesive over the entire surface.

Papers that have been cut or torn and rejoined for decorative effect are called Tsugigami paper (継紙) (Morita, 2006). Depending upon whether the pieces have been torn, cut, or overlapped to form gradations in colour, the paper will be termed differently. A famous example of Tsugigami is the Sanjurokuninshu (三十六人

57

Table 3. Decorated papers

Technique Paper Japanese Comment

Senshokushi Konshi 紺紙 A blue paper dyed with indigo.

Senshokushi Murasakishi 紫紙 A purple paper dyed with the roots of the Murasaki grass

Senshokushi Dabishi 荼毘紙 A perfumed paper made with the ground bark of the Aloeswood or Sandalwood

Senizomesoushokushi Uchigumo 打曇 Purple fibres are added and mixed to the top and bottom of a sheet to form cloud patterns

Senizomesoushokushi Tobigumo 飛雲 Blue and purple fibres are mixed to form cloud patterns within the sheet

Senizomesoushokushi Mizutamagami 水玉紙 Paper on which a thin layer of blue fibres has been lifted and then onto which water has been dropped to reveal the which preceding layers of fibres underneath

Karakami Karakami 唐紙 Papers in which designs have been printed with crushed mica or pigments that have been mixed with gelatine or calcium carbonate.

Karakami Kouzeigami 行成紙 A Gampi paper dyed either blue or yellow and then printed with a design in Mica.

Karakami Karazurigami 空摺紙 A paper with an embossed deisign.

Karakami Monirigasen 紋入画仙 On this paper the rooftile ends design has been woodblock printed

Kinginsoushokushi Kirihaku 切箔 Paper with applied cut pieces of gold or silver leaf.

Kinginsoushokushi Noge 野毛 Paper with applied fine strands of gold or silver leaf.

Kinginsoushokushi Sunago 砂子 Paper with applied fine powder of gold or silver leaf.

Tsugigami Kiritsugigami 切継紙 Pieces of paper have been cut and joined, and have straight or curved edges.

Tsugigami Yaburitsugigami 破継紙 Pieces of paper have been torn and rejoined.

Tsugigami Kasanetsugigami 重継紙 Pieces of paper have been joined to overlap to give gradations in colour.

首) poetry anthology kept at NishiHonganji Temple in Kyoto dating from the Heian period.

Conclusion

While this paper has discussed many kinds of papers, and their contents, creation, decoration and working properties, this is by no means a conclusive list of all that is, and has been, available to Shodo art-ists. It is merely an introduction to some of the papers that have been produced, and the types of aesthetic demands, both in appearance and in handling, that Shodo artists place on paper manufacturers. The long tradition of Shodo paper manufacture has led to the creation of a large number of specialized papers, to the wide variety of artistic choices made by calligraphers. While within Japanese Shodo the two streams of Kanji and Kana require different types of paper, one focus-ing upon the varying effect of the ink on the paper, the other requiring a smooth stable surface for delicate lines and a greater emphasis upon the decoration of

the paper, both types involve specialised fibre selection and manufacture to determine the working properties of the finished product. Paper manufacturers therefore are involved in balancing the types of fibres and their processing to produce papers that meet the artistic demands of artists, as neither a pure non-sized bast fibre paper nor non-bast fibre paper meets the require-ments of calligraphers. With Kana papers, the deco-ration and the subtlety they can bring to a work are many. It is this balance of fibre types and decoration and the effects they can bring that has led to the great number of papers available today.

Acknowledgments

This work would have not been possible without the time and patience of my teachers Kazuko Saito and Shingo Nozao, the staff at Sankosha, Chugoku Bussanten, Sugiharashoten, Inshuya shop manager Mr Koshiba, Iwano Heizaburo Seishisho, Kamiji Kakimoto, David Dai, Liang Louie, the Centre for Cultural

58

Materials Conservation, Jude Fraser and Louise Wilson and Tomomi Nakazawa.

References

All Japan Handmade Washi Association (AJHWA) Handbook on the Art of Washi, Wagami-do, Tokyo, 1991.

All Japan Handmade Washi Association (AJHWA) Website: Accessed 2007 <http://www.tesukiwashi.jp> (in Japanese).

Boudonnat, L, Kushizaki, H (2003) Traces of the brush: the Art of Japanese Calligraphy, Chronicle Press, San Francisco.

Hori, H (2002) Gasenshi Tsukaikonashi Handobukku, Kanariya, Tokyo

Chen, G, Saito, K, Inaba, M (2003) ‘Traditional Chinese Papers, their Properties and Permanence’. Restaurator, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 135–44.

Iwano, Heizaburo Echizen Washi, viewed 2006, <http://www.wanogakkou.com/culture/040000/040200_wasi.html> (in Japanese).

Masuda, K (1985) ‘Japanese Paper and Hyogo’, The Paper Conservator, vol. 9.

Morita, Y, ‘The many applications of washi’ <http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture/washi/appli/>, viewed 2006 (in Japanese).

Morita, Y, ‘Questions about washi’, <http://www.washiya.com/faq.html>, viewed 2006 (in Japanese).

Mullock, H (1995) ‘Xuan paper’, The Paper Conservator, vol. 19.Shimizu, Y, Rosenfield, JM (1984) Masters of Japanese

calligraphy: 8th–19th century (Naomi Noble Richard, ed.) Asian Society Galleries, Japan House, New York.

Yeh, B, Munn, J (2005) ‘An evaluation of Xuan paper permanence and discussion of historical Chinese papermaking materials’, Proceedings of the second Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art, Scientific research on the pictorial arts of Asia, eds Paul Jett, John Winter and Blythe McCarthy, Archetype Publications Ltd.

Endnotes1 墨跡 Literally ‘ink traces’ but meaning the character or

personality of the writer.2 One of the phonetic Japanese alphabets that when

written calligraphically is known for its fine, delicate strokes upon well sized paper.

3 Kanji are the Chinese characters used in Japanese. Due to the simplifications of these characters in mainland China and Japan, they are at times different today, although not always indistinguishable.

4 These styles are often used in relation to sumo, kabuki,

bunraku, sushi and other uniquely Japanese cultural practices.

5 Previously known as Xuan (宣) County, thus giving the paper its name.

6 ‘Picture paper from Sen’. It is also written as雅宣紙、画

宣紙、雅仙紙、雅箋紙、画箋紙 and is abbreviated to Gasen and can be written as 画箋, 画宣, 雅仙, 雅箋 or 雅宣.

7 It is also sometimes written as 本画箋、本画宣-. The Hon character (本) indicates that it is genuine or original, meaning the paper is from the original source of Gasenshi papers: China.

8 和画仙紙- ‘Japanese Picture Paper from Sen’. The Wa (和) meaning Japanese.

9 The most common being 一番唐紙(Ichibantoushi), although there is also 白唐紙（Hakutoushi）, 二番唐

紙 (Nibantoushi） and others. The name signifies the Chinese origin of the paper as the first character is the same as the Tang Dynasty of China.

10 For the imitation of the classics of calligraphy.11 Literally ‘bird’s child’ and refers to the colour of the paper

being like that of eggshell. 12 Literally ‘New Torinoko”13 Gofun is a white pigment made by heating and pulverising

sea shells. It was traditionally used as a coating for paper when mixed with animal glue.

14 While these are the same characters as Toushi papers the pronunciation is different, although with both papers the characters refer to the Tang Dynasty of China from which they are supposedly originated from. Papers that are decorated in this way are used to decorate sliding doors in traditional houses.

Biography

Travis Taylor graduated with an MA from the University of Melbourne (2005) in Cultural Materials Conservation, specializing in works on paper. Prior to that he had completed a BFA at the Victorian College of the Arts in printmaking (1996), and had studied Japanese cal-ligraphy with Kazuko Saito of the Mainichi Shodoten in Kyoto, Japan (2001–03). He has completed an internship at the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation (2006–07). His professional interests include the treatment and material properties of oriental paper-based works, and has additionally been conducting research into crystal growth upon an early 20th century Australian watercolour.