For more than 1,000 years, spanning multiple generations, Japanese artisans have painstakingly transformed durable plant fibers into washi — some of the world’s finest paper. In recent years, Japanese artists have reimagined the potential of this medium, using it to create stunning works of art, examples of which are on display at the Palmer Museum of Art’s summer exhibit, Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper.
If you’re planning to visit the Palmer to appreciate and explore some of the magnificent work associated with this revivalist movement, we invite you to take a stroll through our gardens to discover some of the plants used in (and related to) the traditional manufacture of washi, as described below.
Washi’s Natural Components
Washi is made with fiber from three different types of plants: Kozo paper mulberry (Broussonetia × kazinoki), gampi (Wikstroemia sikokiana), or paperbush (Edgeworthia papyrifera). You can find a young paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) growing near the Overlook Pavilion. This particular species of paperbush is used to make hanji, a Korean paper very similar to washi.
Transforming Plants to Paper
The first step in washi production is to harvest a plant’s bark and remove the inner layer where the strong, woody bast fibers are found. These fibers are then rinsed, lightly bleached, inspected for impurities, and cooked with an alkaline agent. They are then rinsed again and beaten until they separate into individual strands. To help disperse the beaten fibers and control water drainage, they are mixed with a mucilaginous agent called neri, derived from a plant in the hibiscus family (Abelmoschus manihot). Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), a relative of Abelmoschus manihot, can be found in our gardens. Okra is also notably mucilaginous and serves as a thickening agent in cooking.
Enhancing Washi’s Paper Properties
A sizing agent may be added to the paper to improve its water resistance and help it to accept and hold ink without blurring or smearing. Options for this agent include plant starch from rice (Oryza sativa) or voodoo lily (Amorphophallus konjac). You can find Arum species related to Voodoo lily planted in our gardens, including dragon arum (Dracunculus), elephant ear (Alocasia), elephant’s ear (Colocasia), Himalayan cobra lily (Arisaema consanguineum), and North American native skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus).
Finalizing the Form
Once the paper mixture is complete, it is discharged into a suketa, a mold (keta) with a screen (su) made from stiff grass, like (Miscanthus sinensis), or bamboo.
Completing the Process
After the paper is formed, the sheet is removed from the suketa to be pressed and finally dried on wooden boards made from horse chestnut (Aesculus spp.), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), or pine (Pinus spp.).
A Common Washi Misnomer
Though it rarely contains rice, washi paper is often known by the botanically confusing name “rice paper.” Rice paper can also refer to thin edible sheets of steamed rice batter or to pith paper made from the rice paper plant (Tetrapanax papyrifera). Washi paper, which is stronger than pith paper thanks to its interlacing fibers, is often used to repair pith paper when it begins to crack. Look for specimens of rice paper plant in the garden this summer.
No trip to experience Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper is complete without a visit to our botanical gardens to see in person some of the plants used to create washi and other related paper. We hope to see you soon!