Lantern
A stroll along the old streets of a Japanese town at night
evokes the atmosphere of traditional Japan, with the warm
glow of chochin (paper lanterns) beneath the awnings of
shops, blending into the scenery. Lanterns bearing large
lettering or elegant artwork depicting the seasons have
become widely used at rituals and festivals held at shrines
and temples across Japan. Portable handheld illumination
may no longer be common in daily life, but even today, paper
lanterns are used at festivals and also in traditional Japanese
residences. The most significant characteristic of paper lan-
terns is the ability to collapse them into a compact, flat form.
The lantern shade is a three-dimensional helix made of a
single bamboo strip, covered with sturdy washi paper. Today,
the bamboo strip is being increasingly replaced by a flexible
metal or plastic wire. To create the shade, wooden or metallic
mould in the actual size is required. One of the key skills of
lantern-making is that ensuring the lantern’s finished shape is
preserved whilst extracting the mould. The mould is formed
by assembling slats to produce the lantern’s spherical shape.
Grooves are carved into the slats to facilitate the winding of
the strip or wire in a helix. The washi is then cut and glued to
the frame one layer at a time. Following the lantern maker’s
experience and instinct, glue is applied while carefully avoid-
ing excessive overlap between adjacent washi segments.
Gently using a blade, the maker removes excess paper. After
the shade is assembled, the mould is extracted by disassem-
bling the slats inside the lantern and removing one piece at a
time through the small opening. The artisan must be espe-
cially careful not to damage the washi during this process.
The paper used in Lantern is Sekishu washi, produced in
Shimane Prefecture. The paper is made entirely by the hands
of artisans from mulberry tree fibers with epidermis, which
makes the paper stronger. Measuring an impressive one meter
in diameter, Lantern embodies tradition. The light emanating
through the delicately textured Sekishu washi of the gigantic
lantern envelops us in its gentle beauty.
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