Posted by Darrel on October 29, 1997 at 01:07:53:
In Reply to: Paper types posted by William Chernoff on October 28, 1997 at 23:58:51:
Some of your answers can be found in one of the reference books on Japanese print making, such as "Japanese Print Making: A Handbook of Traditional & Modern Techniques" by Toshi Yoshida and Rei Yuki. (I think this particular book is out of print, but second hand copies seem to be readily available.) The paper generally used for printmaking is hosho. The best hosho, invariably with rough edges called mimi-tsuki, comes from Odaki in Fukui Prefecture in Japan. It is made by hand from the bark of kozo (paper mulberry).
The dark outermost layer of the bark is removed and is processed into a fibrous material. This substance is mixed with a non-adhesive fluid extracted from the stalks of nori-utsugi (a species of hydrangea) or the roots of the tororo-aoi (a species of hibiscus) and kept in a large wooden tub from which the liquid is taken in sufficient amounts to make individual sheets of paper. The liquid is drawn up into a shallow rectangular tank held above the tub, and the tank is shaken in a side by side fashion so that the fibers are made to run crosswise evenly in the fluid. The tank has a detachable filter bottom made of bamboo screen which allows the water to drip freely into the tub below. The shaking is stopped and the fluid is allowed to ooze out, leaving a wet sheet of paper in the filter bottom. Together with the bottom screen, the sheet is turned over on a flat board, and the screen is removed. In this way, each new sheet is placed upon the others until there is a pile of about a hundred. With a heavy flat board on top, the pile is left overnight for further draining. The next morning, the individual sheets are separated and placed singly on wide flat boards. They are then dried up and bleached by the sun for finishing. They are then cut and sized.
Sizing (dosabiki) is done on both sides of the paper to strengthen it, to constrict the fibers, and make it less absorbant so the pigment will adhere properly without running. Some paper is available already sized by specialists, but this is generally done by the printer. Size (dosa) is prepared by boiling sanzebon (dried animal glue in stick form) and alum in water. The proportions for standard dosa are one gallon of water, eight ounces of sanzembon, and three to four ounces of alum, but the consistency varies according to the season and the frequency of application of the baren required for the print. (Thick in summer with less water, thin it in winter with more water.) The steps are: put the water in a pan; break the sanzebon into pieces and place in the water; when the sanzembon is sufficiently softened, the pan is heated slowly and the contents are stirred continually with a pair of chopsticks until the sanzembon completely melts; alum is added and mixed well with vigourous stirring with chopsticks; and the fluid is filtered through a cotton cloth. The size is applied to the paper with a dosabake, a broad flat brush made of Chinese sheep hair, which is both resilient and soft. The size must be kept hot during this process, and spread uniformly on a day of clear weather. This evidently requires considerable skill: the paper is laid on a flat board; the dosabake is dipped into the hot dosa and allowed to absorb a sufficient quantity of the fluid; the dosa is applied by drawing the brush in one stroke, quick at the start and slowing down toward the end to secure uniform application; the paper is hung to dry with the use of clips or hooks; and after it has dried the other side is treated in a similar fashion.
There are other types of paper which can be used, if one is making a limited number of impressions on the paper, if only black and white printing is necessary, or if a different degree of absorbancy is desired. Japanese nomenclature for their paper is sometimes inconsistent and misleading. Much paper sold today as "hosho" is a pale imitation of the original hosho and largely of inferior quality because it is made only of pulp. Real hosho is sold under the names of either kizuki-hosho or kizuki-kozo. As you might expect, this tends to be the most expensive type of hosho paper.
Darrel C. Karl
darrel@erols.com