Antique Ise Katagami 伊勢型紙 Japanese Paper Stencil Paper Pattern Dieying Tool

Antique Ise Katagami 伊勢型紙 Japanese Paper Stencil Paper Pattern Dieying Tool , this was used before. This picturesque pattern seems to be a bamboo forest, size is 31.5 x 22.5 centimeters ( about 12.5x 9 inches) . I bought it from a Tokyo antique book store.

伊勢型紙) is the Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles (katagami (型紙)). It is designated one of the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Japan. The art is traditionally centered on the city of Suzuka in Mie Prefecture. It is different from ise washi, though both are made in Mie Prefecture.

Multiple layers of thin washi paper are bonded with a glue extracted from persimmon, which makes a strong flexible brown coloured paper. The designs can be extremely intricate, and consequently fragile. Nowadays the stencils are sometimes sold as artwork, attached to hand fans, or used to decorate screens and doors in Japanese rooms. For kimono printing the stencils are stabilized by attaching them to a fine silk net.