Pine needles
Katagami ( stencil )
1800s
16 in x 9.5 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Library of Congress - a selection of 8, no pines Japanese paper stencils are used in the process of dyeing textiles. The patterns are varied: geometric shapes, animals, flowers, landscapes and everyday objects. The patterns are an art form in themselves. Some are constructed for repeat dyeing; others are single designs. They are cut into sheets of handmade mulberry paper laminated together and waterproofed with persimmon tannin.
Designs are cut into the paper with thin knives and fine punches, and often reinforced with stands of silk. Each plate has two small pinholes that serve as "register marks." A pin or point is passed through each of these two holes and into the corresponding marks left by the previous impression. In this way, design continuity is insured. Designs can be printed either vertically or horizontally.
There is one other katagami in the Lyon Collection, #1254.
Katagami (型紙) (genre)