The art of papermaking has been cultivated for centuries by the inhabitants of Nepal and Bhutan. High up in the hills, peasants take the bark of a shrub - Lokta or Daphnae Papyracea which grows between 2500 and 4500 meters above sea level - and process it into the Lokta paper you see in the Great Art catalogue. Lokta's long fibres, its texture, and its amazing resistance make for longevity and splendour of this superb support to work on.

A real art in the making

To begin with, it is necessary to separate the raffia (or rough fibres). For the farmers of the Himalayas, this phase consists of cooking the dry bark in a solution of ash or caustic soda in order to soften it. The Lokta bark is then cleaned with clear water, chopped finely, and again plunged into the water. The matter obtained from this process is brought to the boil, rinsed again, and then crushed on a large stone block in order to produce a fine white paste.
The pulp is tipped out onto a wooden sieve floating on the surface of a trough of water. The craftsman then delicately shakes the sieve to spread out the pulp to form the sheet before leaving it out in the sun to dry. Once the water has completely evaporated, the paper sheet is ready.

Our range of Himalayan papers is completely ecological, all papers are manufactured using an acid free process and only containing natural raw materials and pure water. Their strength with any medium (Lokta paper is very difficult to tear) will enable you to preserve your work for many years. Moreover, these general-purpose and impressive papers from an ancestral know-how process are suitable for many applications: graphics, printing, painting, drawing and calligraphy.

The splendid range of natural Lokta paper sheets is a perfect reflection of the skilled work of the Himalayan craftsmen. Stained with plants extracts, these papers give a very particular dimension to your work that makes it easily distinguishable from that of others. Similar to leather in feel, Lokta paper is characterized by hot colours and a silky brightness, in addition to be being very multi-purpose and as said, very hard to tear. The Lokta paper we sell is not a copy made in China that some sell as the real thing, rather it is the genuine article directly imported from Nepal, Sikkim or Bhutan.

Click here to buy Lokta Handmade Paper

Handmade paper from Mexico

To appreciate the historical richness of handmade Mexican papers you have to go on a historical journey to the great civilisations of Pre Columbian America, back to the Aztecs and Mayas.

Starting from bark of the Ficus, (immense fig trees growing wild in Yucatan), the Mayas were producing splendid papers around 10th century. They made the paper pulp by using sapwood - the white and tender part of the tree being located between the dark bark and woody core. Their technique consisted of spreading out the bark of the ficus and then hammering the sapwood with a wooden mallet to obtain Huun, on which they later wrote superb almanacs. These attractive documents were in general allegories of the life and death of important people.
On their side, the Aztecs made some improvements to this receipt to develop the famous Amatl paper, also called Amate. The Aztecs tore branches off the sisal plant, a vast and fleshy plant from which textile fibres were extracted, which they then immersed in a river to make them more malleable and to make the bark easier to remove. They then beat the softened matter with a stone, then flattened and smoothed it to form sheets of Amate paper.

The Indian and Mexican descendants of the Mayas and Aztecs kept this technique alive so we are still blessed with these marvellous papers to this day.

At the beginning of time, man was in search of a space for expression that would enable him to materialize his ideas. Over the centuries many means of doing so came and went, cave man used stone, the walls of the caves and the bones of his food to engrave signs and to paint drawing to communicate with others. The Romans wrote on 'tabellas' (wooden boards covered with wax) and the Greeks on pieces of terra cotta, So many great mediums but how much effort! The Egyptians found an alternative lighter and handier method 'the Papyrus' and thus marked the beginning of the great history of paper.

Click here to buy Papyrus

A tradition born in the head waters of the Nile

Over 3000 years ago, the Egyptians traversed the marshy zones of the Nile delta to collect a reed there called 'Cyperus Papyrus'. This plant could reach 2 to 4 meters in height! They cut the stem, (a triangular cross section), in a length ways direction into fine plates - the length of the sections determining the height of the sheet (on average 40 cm) - then they longitudinally laid them out side by side, and then placed another layer over the top at opposite angles. The fibres were then intersected by weaving and flattened with a hammer.
This stage was carried out in wet conditions, the Nile water being used in the process to stick the fibres together. After that, the whole lot was pressed and left out to dry. The sheet was then smoothed and polished with the help of a stone to obtain a paper with the exceptional characteristics of the time. The last stage was to glue the sheets together with starch with the idea that the rolls of papyrus consisted of laterally stuck sheets. Twenty sheets formed a 'scapus' and several scapi made a volume. The front, where the plates or sheets were presented horizontally, was used for writing while the back, letting show the horizontal fibres show through, remained untouched.

Flexible, resistant and not absorbing lots of ink, papyrus became the support of the famous hieroglyphics and that of Mediterranean cultures. The Egyptians took this support to the top of its status.

Its manufacture being relatively expensive, papyrus was usually reserved for religious, literary and scientifically important texts. In addition to these hieroglyphic manuscripts, its prestige was such that it was sometimes placed in the tomb of certain deceased people to testify to their very high social status. Papyrus had a royal and divine dimension in Ancient Egypt.
Today papyrus is used for painting, printing, decorative art or craft projects. This ancestral support gives an attractive dimension to all kinds of original creations.

Even though it flourished with many papyrus gradually saw its prestige fading at the dawn of the Byzantine period with the arrival of parchment. With its solidity and possibility it offered to write on both sides, parchment manufactured from tanned animal skin - cattle or camel with the Persians and the Hebrews, and deer leather with the Mayas and Aztecs - gradually supplanted the papyrus (No pun intended!). Parchment was created in Pergame, in the Hellenistic kingdom of Asia Minor, in 200BC, and was normally reserved for official documents intended for the files and for the crown texts.
The parchment of the Persians and the Hebrews was however only a transition before the discovery of paper.

The invention of paper - from China to Japan.

In true revolutionary style in the history of humanity, the discovery of paper in China was to slice the fruit of contention between so many generations: to conceive a support that at the same time was stable, flexible, aesthetic and light but yet whose manufacturing cost would allow a diffusion on a large scale. A "democratisation" to some extent.

According to several historical studies, the invention of paper, is credited to Cai Lun (also known under the name of Tsai Lun), a senior official of the court of Emperor Ho, and dates back to the first year of Yuan Xing, namely 105AD. Annuals of the Han dynasty reveal to us that their reign was one of the most prolific in history and that they had managed to overcome the difficulties posed by the technique of weaving of fibres for the manufacture of paper.

Chinese paper was produced from the bark of the mulberry tree, hemp and bamboo. The craftsmen cooked all these elements in a detergent of wood ashes and beat the paste to get a homogenous pulp. They then used water to return the consistency of this paste to something more fluid and then spread it out over a sieve. After the last phase, drying off in the sun, the result of this meticulous process showed through: a splendid sheet of paper, some of the first in history.

This fantastic invention quickly became adopted in cultural and artistic mediums. Much lighter and cheaper than other materials, paper proliferated and quickly became the support of choice for scribes and artists.

It wasn't until 500 years after this Chinese creation, that paper made its appearance in Japan - in 610AD to be precise. The Chinese had provided the foundations in a process that would in fact be the core process of paper makers through the centuries. Japan now acted to work on this technique and to make improvements if possible. The Japanese rose quickly to the challenge.

Going back to the birth of time

The basic Chinese principles of paper production were taken for the Japanese process, but the Japanese were soon adding their ingredients.
"Washi" is the term used in Japan to indicate that paper has been handmade. This paper is designed starting from natural fibres and contains only very few chemical substances. The particular technique called "Nagashi-Zuki" gives Japanese papers their strength and its lightness. The process consists of agitating the pulp so that the fibres of the mulberry tree arrange themselves in the desired direction and to make them hold the water, which it will then discharge with the help of a sieve.
Japanese paper offers an exceptional resistance to tearing and folds while being very malleable. It thus makes it possible to practise the art of folding (or Origami) without restriction and under the best conditions. No chemical substances are used for the treatment of the bands of bark of the mulberry tree. Craftsmen withdraw the impurities using detergent made from fire ash. The paper obtained has a neutral pH and an absolute purity. It contains neither chlorine nor iron because no ferrous machinery or tools are used during the preparation of the pulp.
Today "Washi" is used for the restoration of old documents, in particular of books.
This is why it is essential to obtain fibres as clear as possible. Craftsmen take care of the purity of fibres and the spring water for the treatment and the completion. The flexible fibres of mulberry tree are bleached thanks to a long exposure to the sun in a shallow basin filled mountain stream water (a brook is deviated towards the basin). The Western industrial paper producers always took examples from the craftsman - think in particular where you often find paper mills - next to rivers.

Click here to buy Japanese Washi Paper

Ingredients of Japanese papers

Kozo (mulberry tree), Mitsumata (shrub with short fibres) and Gampi grow on the stony slopes of the south of the Honshu and Shikoku islands (very rainy zones). The long-living herbaceous plants reach more than 3 meters in height in the space of 2 years and are collected in spring.



A production process that has become an art in itself

The trunk is put to soak in a tank where it is watered and steamed with boiling water so that the fibres soften. After that, you let the trunk stew in the water in order to separate the external black bark from the internal white part. The bands of bark are then washed for 3 hours in a detergent of ashes or a solution with a low content sodium carbonate to remove the hard bark, lignin and the other saps. In a basin of spring water coming from a mountain brook, the soft fibres are bleached by a long exposure to the sun. The following stage is beating in the wooden mortar, the fibres - very delicate at this stage - are separated with the help of a ramrod, and then they are pressed. The use of wooden tools avoids the impurities getting into the fibres. Lastly the bundle of wet fibres is soaked one last time to make sure they are completely clean.



All about know how in sheet making

Next the fibres are mixed with pure water in a wooden bucket and stirred with a bamboo cane. After that, a miracle product from the root of the hibiscus plant is added which will separate all of the fibres and prevent them from sticking together and sticking to the sieve.
The sieve is then fixed in the Keta (1), a double framework in cypress articulated by hinges.
The whole frame is then submersed into the pulp (containing fibres, pure water and the extract) and is then agitated back and forth and side-to-side. Doing this several times intersects the fibres better. Water having been partly absorbed, the fibres are in suspension in less and less water. After draining the sheet is covered in a thin veil, stacked and left to dry
(1) Flexible sieve made of bits of Kaya tree.

The Japanese method - very similar to modern paper mill methods.

The Keta, as we have seen is submerged and shaken back and forth. In order to get a good sheet it is sometimes necessary to keep the Keta underwater for longer.


Pressing and drying of "washi"

The wet paper pile then undergoes a pressing with such intensity that most of the moisture is eliminated and that paper becomes dry to the touch.

After a drying for approximately 24 to 48hrs, sheets are taken off - each one sandwiched between two pieces of cloth or veil to prevent them from sticking to each other.

The wet sheets are then placed on a wall with the help of a soft brush and allowed to dry or left out on sheets of metal that absorb the heat of the sun.

How many times have you thought 'I'd like to make my own paper' ? With this kit and the instructions below now you can.
Every year we throw away tonnes of paper, of which the majority is recyclable. So grab those old newspapers and yesterday's junk mail and let's see how to make it back into useable paper.

What you need...............

* A blender with at least a litre capacity,
* 2 rigid and non absorbent boards about 32cm x 33cm (for A4 paper making),
* A large container large enough to submerge the frame in,
* Sheets of felt,
* A rolling pin,
* A wooden frame and sieve frame,
* And of course lots of soaked paper - soaked for at least 2 hrs - to which you can add wallpaper paste, PVA, china clay, dried flowers, leaves etc.

Click here to buy Paper Making Standard Set

Preparation of the pulp

Soak small pieces of paper in water (shredded paper works well) for at least 2hrs - but preferably overnight.
Add 75ml of warm water to the blender and add a handful of wet paper.
Mix for about 10 to 20 seconds to achieve the consistency of porridge.
Tip out the blender into the big container - which is your moulding vat, and add warm water until half full.
Mix well and assemble the frame by placing the open frame over the sieve frame

Picking up the pulp

Place the assembled frame vertically into the container, sieve side towards you.
Bring to horizontal underwater and rock the frame back and forth.
Gently lift the frame to collect pulp.
Let the frame drain for a few minutes - you can also sponge off the underside of the frame to remove moisture quicker.

Laying sheets

Remove the outer part of the frame and place to one side.
Place a felt over the wet pulp sitting on the sieve,
Roll once with the rolling pin,
Place one of the boards over the felt, then keeping them tightly together turn quickly over.
Once upside down, remove the sieve frame by starting with one edge and peeling back slowly - be careful not to tear the wet sheet - it's still very fragile at this stage!
Place another felt over the damp sheet avoiding creases and repeat the process.

Pressing

When finished place the second board on top of the pile and push down quite hard with your hands to press out the water.


Drying

Remove the top board, then take off the felt sandwiches one at a time - each time you should lift this configuration
Felt
Sheet of paper
Felt

Hang or lie these out to dry like washing.
The felts will peel off the sheets after about 24hrs, or whenever the sheets are completely dry - try and do this too early and the sheets will tear.


Tips:

Newspaper gives a slightly grey paper, financial times a nice peachy grey, copier paper off white - especially if heavily used. Magazines make quite dark paper as all inks mix to form a near black colour.

Appearing in Japan around 600AD, the process of paper making was shown to the Arabs 'Manu Militari' who after terrible defeat against the Chinese captured a few to deprive them of their final secrets - of how to make paper. The Arabs soon spread this secret throughout their empire so well that it finished by reaching Europe and notably Fabriano in the second half of the 13th century (1264 to be exact). This little Italian village in the Marches region in central Italy profited from an ideal strategic position not far from the Adriatic port of Ancona, where very open trade was done with the Arabs, to become the principal site of paper manufacture in Europe. From there Fabriano became the vector for its re-diffusion to all 4 continents.

Paper production saw a great boom during the Renaissance before a decline in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Industrial Revolution re-launched the paper mill at Fabriano. Pietro Miliani profited from this period to create the 'Cartiere Miliani' paper factory in 1782. He was an impulsive decision maker and developed this business to a prestigious, high-ranking company in Fabriano. His focus was on drawing paper and those suitable for printing and manuscript writing. His grandson Guiseppe Miliani took the company to new international status for high industrial complexity and this won Fabriano a gold medal at the London Exhibition in 1851. After that Giovambattista Miliani, an eminent politician, being Mayor of Fabriano, Minister of Agriculture during the Great War, and finally the Italian Ambassador to the UK took the chair at the beginning of the 20th century and progressively ratcheted up the paper mills in the area, of which Pioraco, current site of Watercolour Studio production, with its wonderful table mould, was one. Giovambattista was the last Miliani family member of the company, which was nationalised in 1931, and renamed 'Cartiere Miliani Fabriano' in 1947.

Know how for more than 700 years

The history of Fabriano using local labour allowed paper production to sort of develop on its own. Fabriano developed three innovations to make them experts at paper production in Europe.
1) Use of animal gelatine to surface size the paper,
2) Invention of a hydraulic press to work the pulp, to replace what were effectively manual pestle and mortars.
3) Watermark technique, a brass wire motif is stitched onto the sieve plate of the cylinder press. The fibres are less dense at this point so more light can pass through the paper. Each paper has its own unique watermark.

Fabriano itself

A small town of 30.000 inhabitants in central Italy, Fabriano is keen to show its industrial history in papermaking. The site of 'Cartiere Miliani Fabriano' itself is a dominant landmark in the middle of this town, its size of 35000m2 making it very visible and its 350 employees making it a big employer there. This site has 3 cylinder press or foudrinier machines and one table mould machine and has been such since 1977. Other than 'Artistico' water colour, Ingres Paper, and high quality drawing papers, this factory produces security papers including bank notes for euros and other currencies. The security is needless to say very high there.
The Pioraco factory, itself not far from Fabriano, is a more historic site for the group than a mass production facility. Of 1520 inhabitants in Pioraco, no less than 240 work at the factory producing many artists' papers

Handmade Paper -a perpetual tradition

Before the first paper mills and continuous line paper production in 1799 each sheet of paper was made by hand. The base process is the same today as was then - pulp making - sheet making with the sieve frame - placing on felt - then pressing and drying. Cartiere Miliani Fabriano is rare in the world as it still retains a handmade paper facility. Roma Drawing Paper is one such example of this paper. The sieve has quite a coarse surface giving the paper its laid, or 'verge' quality and of course the wolf watermark stamped 'Roma'.

Click here to buy Fabriano Roma Hand Made Paper

The traditional art of papyrus making is still practiced today so artists can experience the sensation of writing, drawing and painting on the world's earliest paper. Papyrus - which gave its name to paper - originally meant "that which belongs to the house" (of Egypt). It's still hand-made as it was from its beginnings around 3000BC. The pith of papyrus stems, stripped of their bark, are cut into narrow strips are soaked in water until they are flexible and translucent. Two layers of papyrus strips are then arranged at right angles in a lattice pattern, beaten until they fuse together and left to dry. Decorative artists use papyrus to create distinctive certificates, book covers and folders, gift wrapping, decorated book
marks and models. Papyrus adds character to calligraphy and can be coloured with tempera, acrylics, water colours, gouache, pastels and felt tips for decorative and fine art work.

The natural beauty of the soaring Himalayas is matched by the exotic charm of the handmade papers from the sunny foothills and the rugged higher regions. The tough Daphne shrubs that grow beyond 3,500m yield long resilient fibres to make sturdy paper with leather-like strength for a variety of applications from hand-printing to fine art, collage and mounting. The glowing colours of natural Himalayan paper are derived from local plant extracts, including henna, cassius bark and juniper. The more delicate edgeworthia shrubs that grow on lower slopes produce lighter softer papers.All Himalayan papers are made in the timehonoured way, hand-crafted by women from local leaves, fruits, roots and bark. The rough deckle edging on all sides lends a rustic quality that complements the range of silky surfaces, rich textures and special effects. We can't guarantee that hair from the legendary Abominable Snowman goes into Yeti Original... but we can promise that the highly decorative Yak Hair Bright Yeti really does contain yak hairs, finely worked into the structure.