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Werkgroep bpf - Workshop Traditional Japanese Lining Methods

Workshop Traditional Japanese Lining Methods for Silk and Paper by Usami Shotokudo Studio, Kyoto, Japan

3-6 September 2024, Amsterdam

Organised by the Restauratoren Nederland with the University of Amsterdam

Written by the Book and Paper specialisation students of the Advanced Professional Programme, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, University of Amsterdam


In early September 2024, Book and Paper specialisation students of the Advanced Professional Programme in Conservation and Restoration at the University of Amsterdam had the opportunity to attend a four-day workshop on traditional Japanese lining techniques taught by the Usami Shotokudo Studio, Kyoto, Japan. The Usami Shotokudo Studio specialises in traditional hyogu (表具), a Japanese term used to describe the craft of mounting works of art on paper and silk into handscrolls, hanging scrolls, folding scrolls, and others, for preservation and display. The workshop was packed with their knowledge and expertise on their practices and ethical considerations around lining new and historical paper and textile objects. 

The first day was primarily reserved for making wheat starch paste and bamboo spatulas. Although wheat starch paste is one of the most commonly used adhesives in the field of paper conservation, some steps were performed differently from what we have seen before. A notable technique was the mixing of dry starch powder and water through a sieve, which resulted in a homogeneous mixture free of irregularities. Upon cooking the paste for approximately 30 minutes in varying heat settings, the cooked paste was poured into a container and covered with a damp towel to cool overnight. Bamboo spatula making mostly consisted of sanding the pre-shaped bamboo sticks prepared by the teachers. The first type was a long, bendable spatula used to release lined objects from the Karibari, a Japanese drying board made of wooden frames, Japanese paper, and fermented persimmon juice. The second type was a blunt and slightly angled tool used for scoring paper. These handy tools were used over the course of the workshop. 

Sanding bamboo spatulas into perfect shapes. (Photo: Gyu Yeong Lim)
On the second day, we learned about the multitude of brushes used in a hyogu studio. The ones most used throughout this workshop were noribake (糊刷毛paste brush), nazebake (撫ぜ刷毛smoothening brush), and shigokibake (しごき刷毛squeezing brush). Each brush was designed for specific purposes, with the materials, shapes, and hair length of each changing how they interact with water, paste, and paper. The practice began by lining paper objects with minogami paper (美濃紙handmade Kozo fibre paper made in Mino city, Gifu prefecture) and wheat starch paste. For the paper conservators in attendance, it was a chance to finetune a skill with a master in the technique. For the textile conservators, they got the chance to work with a set of materials they do not commonly use. While the first set of objects airdried on felts, the second set was dried on a Karibari. The lined edges of these objects were pasted onto the Karibari, allowing for them to be pulled as they dried. When these objects were later removed using the bamboo spatulas, they were perfectly flat, unlike those allowed to dry unconstrained.
Pasting the edges of lined paper objects onto Karibari. (Photo: Linde Akkerman)
The third day was dedicated to lining silk with paper and local reinforcement techniques. To line silk on paper, strips of minogami paper were first adhered to the short edges of the silk. The paper strips were then temporarily fixed with water onto a table, ensuring that the warp and weft of the silk were perfectly aligned. Another two wetted strips of paper were then placed close to the long edges of the silk on the table as release layers. The principle of lining silk is similar to that of paper, except that the paste must be thicker, and the pasted lining paper must be left to dry slightly on felt before the application onto the prepared silk. This is to prevent the adhesive from penetrating and staining the recto of the silk. Once the lining paper is applied, it must be brushed along the weft of the silk to minimise movement and misalignment of the silk. Lastly, the four corners of the lined silk should be lifted to verify that no stains are present on the recto. The lined silk can finally be left to dry on felts. Local reinforcement techniques were practised on the lined paper objects from the previous day. First, minogami paper was cut into long strips of around 3cm in width with long slots of around 0.3cm distance between the slots. The cut paper was then placed onto a moist wooden stick, followed by wheat starch paste application onto the secured strips on the wooden stick. The paper strips can then be individually picked up either with tweezers or rolled onto a spatula (“spaghetti/noodle method”) before being applied onto the verso of the lined object.

For the last day of the workshop, Menno Fitski, the Head of Asian Art at the Rijksmuseum, presented a selection of hanging scrolls in the collection for discussion. Amongst the selection, a particular interest was given to a hanging scroll which had been remounted, of which its old mounting was also kept. The decision to change the silk had been made for the object due to the fragility and insufficient strength of the silk from the previous mounting. By comparing the old and new silk linings, it was possible to note the choice of fabric resembling the replaced silk motif, as well as the attention devoted to the harmony and balance of the various colours and composition with the object. Great care was also reserved for the storage of the object for which a custom box and a wooden device to expand the inner diameter of the scroll were made. The second object presented some damage in the form of cracks on the pictorial area of the object. This is an inevitable consequence of the hanging scroll’s functionality and the action of rolling and unrolling the object. In this case, it was interesting to gain the perspective of the teachers as to which would be their suggested course of action to maintain the longevity of the object. We finished the workshop with a swift and masterful demonstration by the teachers on lining large objects. 

Custom made wooden device for expanding inner diameter of a hanging scroll used by the Rijksmuseum. (Photo: Margherita Caprotti)
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