These elaborate and repetitive patterns are silkscreened onto machine made sheets of mixed kozo and sulphite that is extremely strong and easy to fold. Chiyogami “thousand generations paper” designs were developed in the Edo period (1603 – 1868) and were meant to be cut into pieces for making paper dolls or pasted on tea tins and small paper boxes; still today the miniature scale of the pattern is reminiscent of these early uses.
The striking pigment colours, careful registration of screens and wide range of designs make these papers ideal for picture mats, books and box making. Yuzen designs are very similar but patterns are gold highlighted and originate from the Kyoto textile industry.