Chiyogami, literally thousand generation (chiyo) paper (gami), is meticulously produced by hand. Each layer of colour is silkscreened on individually requiring careful registration of screens.

These exquisite papers were developed in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1867) by papermakers who were emulating the fashionable kimono textiles being produced in the Yuzen area of Kyoto. These small-scale paper imitations were intended to be used on dolls and tiny household items, such as tea tins. Many of the patterns contain highly symbolic imagery, such as cranes for long life and plum blossoms and pine boughs for beauty and longevity.

Our Chiyogami paper, like fabrics, are stored in bolts. They will easily flatten out when rolled in the opposite direction.