KATAZOME-SHI

Katazome-shi is hand-stencilled decorative Japanese paper (washi). The paper itself is hand-made from kozo fibre, the inner bark of a type of mulberry bush.

 

The many different patterns originated as kimono cloth designs. The printing process involves stencils made from heavy washi paper, strengthened by treatment with fermented persimmon juice, through which a resist paste is applied. One colour is added at a time, and the process is repeated with different stencils for each colour. 

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While the printed colours are rich and resistant to fading, the unprinted areas of the paper remain off-white. The finish is soft and almost matte, yet kozo paper is very strong and resistant to water and abrasion, which makes it suitable for all sorts of craft and interior projects, including bookbinding, lampshades, wallpaper and covering almost anything you can think of, such as books, wooden furniture, boxes, vases etc. 

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Our papers are each available in 4 sizes, (the size refers to the printed surface, not including the unprinted deckle edges).  The price per sheet starts at CHF4.00 for 22x30cm (slightly smaller than A4). We recommend Yamato Nori paste as the best glue to use with all our Japanese papers.