What are katagami? Part 1

The framed katagami on this page range from $500 to $1750. More are available at our Gallery.

Katagami has been an important part of Japan’s material culture for almost five hundred years. Katagami  stencils were used to pattern textiles in a technique called katazome. This delicate dye-resist technique traditionally involves applying rice paste through a stencil onto silk, followed by an exacting procedure of multiple stencil realignments and paste applications in order to continue the yardage’s pattern. The material is then dyed, sometimes repeatedly to develop the final result. The paste is then removed to reveal exquisite voided patterns.

The stencil’s highly detailed cutouts result in large areas of negative space. The precise cutouts are supported by an equally fine, though less visible, silk thread grid that stabilizes each of the tiny paper components.

The stencil-making process involves first curing numerous thin sheets of mulberry bark in persimmon tannin. After arranging a small stack of cured papers and drawing the pattern on the surface sheet, all layers are cut with

a sharp, curved blade. Next, the silk support grid is imbedded in between layers and the excess threads are trimmed. The end result is a stencil of unparalleled sharpness supported by a fine silk grid that does not impede the application of rice paste.

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What are katagami? Part 2