CHIYOGAMI/YUZEN
Chiyogami & Yuzen Defined
The word “Chiyogami” is a very specific word, however nobody is exactly sure of the derivation of the word. One popular belief that is means 1,000 generations but that hasn’t really been documented too clearly. The paper that we know as chiyogami actually comes from a blending of two Japanese traditions: woodblock-printed Japanese papers (“chiyogami”), and a specific style of kimono fabric patterns (“Yuzen”). The word “Yuzen” originally referred to a style of highly elaborate designs, incorporating a lot of gold, which were printed onto cloth for kimonos.
So Which Is It, Chiyogami or Yuzen?
Part of the confusion about whether these papers are called Yuzen (as they are commonly known in the USA) or Chiyogami comes from this blended history. Really, today’s papers are both.
In Japan “Chiyo” means 1,000 Generations & “-Gami” means paper.
Chiyogami/Yuzen patterns were inspired from Kimono patterns and first made by Japanese Paper-Makers in the Edo Period. In the 20th century, after World War II, women stopped wearing Kimonos, and with this drastic decline in demand for kimonos, the old cloth printing studios with little to do began applying their patterns to paper. Originally printed by woodblock and used to make paper dolls and other home decorations, Chiyogami is still silkscreened by hand using a mixture of kozo and sulphite.
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