Collections Seldom Seen
Asian Section
Tamara Tjardes, Curator
Tamara Tjardes, Curator of Asian and Middle Eastern Collections, decided
to focus on one material to represent the Japanese culture and its aesthetic:
washi, Japanese handmade paper. She selected stencils used in textile
design, umbrellas, fans, dolls, lanterns, scrolls, and even clothing made
from paper to explore the versatility of this material that we often overlook
or consider ordinary.
Washi was developed in Japan during the 7th century.
Paper is thought to have been invented by a Chinese librarian in 105.
Concern about the space required by texts written on palm leaves, wood,
silk and animal skins prompted assiduous experimentation with a wide variety
of materials and processes. Eventually a Korean Buddhist priest brought
paper to Japan, where Prince Shotoku Taishi delighted in the possibilities
such an invention inspired. The process of making paper was refined and
developed in Japan and in the 700’s there were 180 different types of
paper in 23 distinct regions. Japanese farmers excelled in papermaking,
transforming the usual inactivity of the winter months into ones of vigorous
production to make this labor intensive material.
There are many steps involved in making washi. Many of them involve water, the colder the better.Farmers used nearby streams to assist them in the process. First, mulberry, gampi and/or mitsumata trees are harvested and their bark is peeled off. The white inner fibers of the bark are separated from the exterior, a process that requires at least four steps. Then the white bark fibers are washed, drained and boiled, bleached, cleaned further and beat into a pulp. The pulp is placed in a vat with mucilage and water. It is scooped out with a screen, transferred to a wooden board and left to dry in the sun. Because it is so labor intensive, not many artisans continue to produce it. And, the cost of washi is high. In spite of the expense, money in Japan is made out of washi.
During times of need paper was used to substitute for more expensive materials. For example, in lieu of wool or silk, paper was sliced, spun and woven to make cloth. Paper was used to make underwear for priests and clothing for the poor. It was easy to make and had a high thermal factor. Paper clothing, called kamiko, appealed to the samurai class because of its simplicity. Garments made out of paper were also worn by military leaders in Japan over their armor. As kamiko became more popular, paper garments were often lined and/or decorated with cotton or silk.
In
Collections Seldom Seen there are two kamiko kimono. One
is predominantly brown, with black detailing. The brown part is paper,
which has been treated with persimmon tannin that acts as an adhesive
and a protective layer. The black part of the kimono is cotton and, surprisingly
enough, shows more wear. The other white kimono is a ritual robe that
was worn in the Omizutori festival in March 2001.This annual festival
has been taking place at the Todai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan, since the
mid-eighth century. Eleven Buddhist priests perform rites of penitence,
atoning for the misdeeds of everyone. The first rite is making a paper
robe. A special type of paper is used. Forty sheets are used to make each
kimono. They are rolled and unrolled vigorously, creating wrinkles to
increase its thermal quality. The robes are lined with cotton and usually
burned at the end of the ceremony. This robe symbolizes the Japanese association
between white paper and purity.
ABOVE: Buddhist Ritual Robe & Kimono, Japan, 200 and Late 19th Century
