A Katagami Cut from Re-used Paper: Images and Handwriting

**reduced from $85.00**
late nineteenth, early twentieth century
11" x 15 1/4", 28 cm x 38.5 cm

A katagami is a hand cut stencil that is used as a guide to apply rice paste to the surface of cloth when dyeing in the katazome method. 

Katagami are made of paper that has been saturated with green persimmon tannin or kaki shibu and then smoked for added durability.

This one is unusual in the fact that recycled paper was used to create this stencil: by looking at the accompanying detail photo you can easily see this as there is a good amount of hand writing on the paper from which this stencil was cut.

The design on this one shows fancifully-drawn circles--stylized snow crystals or snowflakes--that are interspersed on a field with cherry blossoms

Both sides of this stencil show handwriting that indicates recycled paper was used to cut this stencil--the contrast of handwriting in combination with the hand cut repeat pattern of the stencil is a treat for the eyes.

Beautiful.