Search

Language:

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	1,6 mm (1.5– 3,2)
Average fibre width	23 µm (7.5 – 29.7)
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Abundant parenchyma cells.
Special features	Faint walls.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Purple.

Botanical classification

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. frumentacea Makino

Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) Stapf. ex Hook f.

Coix lacryma-jobi subsp. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) T. Koyama

Plant growing area

This species is native to warm-temperate regions of Asia. It is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Bhutan Burma, China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

It grows near the streams, in marshy valleys, moist fields.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Coix lacryma-jobi is widely cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions. It is an annual tall grain-bearing plant.

Throughout East Asia, Job's Tears are available in dried form and cooked as a grain (in Korea and China, liquors are also distilled from the grain).

It is also used in traditional Chinese and Lao medicines as diuretic.

Korea:

Coix lachryma-jobi is used in combination with the paper mulberry fibers, as a complement.

Paper names

In Asia and particularly in China, Korea and Japan, the papers are intended for a wide range of use: Papers for calligraphy and art, Papers for ceremonies, Paper as a medium of exchange, money paper, Papers for making clothes, wall hangings and bedding, Papers for architecture, interior design, Papers for crafts of various kinds, for domestic purposes and leisure. The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Straw

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	1,6 mm (1.5– 3,2)
Average fibre width	23 µm (7.5 – 29.7)
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Abundant parenchyma cells.
Special features	Faint walls.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Purple.

Botanical classification

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. frumentacea Makino

Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) Stapf. ex Hook f.

Coix lacryma-jobi subsp. ma-yuen (Rom. Caill.) T. Koyama

Plant growing area

This species is native to warm-temperate regions of Asia. It is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

It grows near the streams, in marshy valleys, moist fields.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Coix lacryma-jobi is widely cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions. It is an annual tall grain-bearing plant.

Throughout East Asia, Job's Tears are available in dried form and cooked as a grain (in Korea and China, liquors are also distilled from the grain).

It is also used in traditional Chinese and Lao medicines as diuretic.

Korea:

Coix lachryma-jobi is used in combination with the paper mulberry fibers, as a complement.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Straw

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.© Flora of China

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.© CFH Nature Museum

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Bhutan, China (Anhui, North Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), North East India, Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Ryukyu), Korea, Nepal, North Thailand.

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Perennial rhizomatous herb; 30cm to 1m tall. Grows in clumps. It is dioecious and the small flowers bloom from March to April. It adapts to various exposures from sun to partial shade and to a variety of soils, acidic or calcareous.

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, brushing and spraying (Huyeombeop ), combination of the both methods (Honyeombeop). Then the paper can be hammered.

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

French

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

山靛

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis © C. Laroque

Botanical classification

Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis

Order:

Gentianales

Family:

Rubiaceae

Synonyms:

Gardenia augusta Merr.

Gardenia florida L.

Varneria augusta L.

Plant growing area

Gardenia jasminoides originated in Asia and grows in warm or subtropical climates.

China (Sichuan, Hubei), Japan, India, Taiwan, Vietnam.

In tropical areas it is found in lower altitudes.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

China:

Hubei, Sichuan.

Plant cultivation and use

Branched evergreen shrub with fragrant flowers, up to 1,50m-3m in height. It requires mildly acidic soil, good drainage and a sunny location. It blooms in spring or summer. The fruit is an orange berry which is used in traditional medicine as a febrifuge. It is also considered as insect repellent. The plant is as well grown as an ornamental and fragrant plant.

The fruits contain a dye, the crocin which is a carotenoid. They must be ripe to be used. The yellow dye was mainly used as a dye for fabrics; adding iron it is possible to modify the color. The color is very sensitive to acids, alkalis and to light.

China:

Gardenia jasminoides provides one of the oldest yellow dye used in China; the first evidences of its use date back to 2nd century BC and show that the dye was very popular in the Qin (221-207 BC.) and Han (202 BC.-220 AD.) dynasties.

It was used as a dye for imperial documents.

Japan:

Kuchinashi means "no mouth" because the seeds are not opening.

A yellow dye is quoted in the "Ebukuryo code" or "Garment code" dating from the 8th century AD. It may be Kuchinashi but also Kariyasu (Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack.) or Kihada (Phellodendron amurense).

The dye is used in dyeing fabrics, paper and also in printing prints.

Korea:

This is the most widely used yellow dye. It has been used since at least the 7th-8th centuries.

It is used in combination with Indigofera tinctoria to get green color.
The papers dyed with gardenia are often used to make embossed papers (neunghwaji). Because of their repellent properties, these papers were used as book covers in bookbindings.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

The fruits are picked when ripe and then pressed. The dye is ready to use.

Other method: the fruits are dried after harvesting. The dye is obtained by boiling in water or in a mixture of water and alcohol, the dry fruits.

Japan:

The fruits are picked when ripe and then pressed. The dye is ready to use.

Other method: the fruits are dried after harvesting. The dye is obtained by boiling in water or in a mixture of water and alcohol, le dry fruits.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by their small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Usually the pulp is dyed in the vat before forming the sheets.

Korea:

Harvesting takes place in autumn. The fruits are dried in absence of light. They will be used the following year.

The fruits are placed in water and heated up to 50 ° C maximum in order to avoid the color to turn brown. The mordant used is aluminum which allows various shades.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Fruit

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Korean

Local scripture:

산쪽풀

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

やまあい

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

French

Botanical classification

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Malpighiales

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms:

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. transmorrisonensis (Hayata) H. Keng

Mercurialis leiocarpa var. trichocarpa W. T. Wang

Mercurialis transmorrisonensis Hayata

Plant growing area

Grows on mountain slopes or in valleys or forests at 300-2800 m altitude.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

A drying oil is obtained from the seed.

The chemical structure of the blue dyestuff is unknown. The proportion of colorant in the plant is low and contains impurities. The color fades easily.

Japan:

The dye was used primarily during the Nara period (710-794). Its use continued until the Edo period (1603-1868). It was famous for dyeing kimonos.

The dye was applied directly to the fabric leaving a blue-green color called suri-ai which means " rubbed blue."

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Leaves were harvested in summer and early autumn. After being left to macerate, they were rubbed directly onto the fabric which became blue.

Crushed roots and leaves could also be used to extract a liquid dye.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Korea:

Paper names

The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

English

Botanical classification

Caesalpinia sappan L.

Order:

Fabales

Family:

Caesalpiniaceae

Plant growing area

Native origin unknown, maybe India.

Cambodia, China (Cultivated. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam.

Grows on hills in low and medium altitudes.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Sappan is a small evergreen thorny tree, 3 to 6 m tall. It prefers clay and limestone lands.

The heartwood contains a red dye and is used medicinally to relieve pain. It is also used as dye for textiles, for prints and in ink making.

Use of sappan wood in the Far East is probably ancient; archaeological remains (silk textiles from the Loulan site) attest its use in the 2nd century BC.

Red wood were imported into Europe from the Far East to the discovery of America.

The coloring matter contained in the wood are brazilin, present in all red woods and flavanoids which are not very much colored; the red dye, brasilein, is obtained after oxidation of brazilin.

This is a very sensitive dye to light; it is not easy to use and it fixes better on animal fibers than on plant fibers.

China:

Sappan wood was imported to China from India, 10 centuries before JC. Its use is mentioned in the "Jiangxi sheng dashi" or "Large annals of Jiangxi province" dating from the early 16th century.

Japan:

Used for dyeing Emperor Clothes.

Used for printing ukiyo-e.

Korea:

The dye is used during the Joseon period (1392-1910) because the red color is very popular for clothing. It is probably imported from China. This red dye was used extensively until the advent of synthetic dyes.

Preparation process for making paper

Wood is cut into small pieces so that brasilin oxidizes with air contact and to allow good extraction of the dye. It is allowed to swell for one day before boiling it for one hour. The dyeing is achieved by three successive extractions, reducing the amount of water each time. The three infusions are then mixed after filtering.

The mordants used are mainly aluminum (which gives a red color) and iron (which gives a brown color). A violet color is obtained by applying successively an iron mordant and then an aluminum mordant.

China:

Cutting takes place every six years. The heart wood alone is used. It is reduced to small fragments which are soaked for several hours in a heated bath.

After filtering, the liquid is ready for use.

The paper sheets are then soaked in the dye bath.

Japan:

The heart of the trunk and larger branches only are used for the extraction of the dye.

The wood is shredded and then crushed in a pestle. The powder can be left to ferment to increase its dyeing power.

The powder is mixed with water during 3 hours in a big amount of water (20 times its weight). Then the decoction is leaved for fermentation during several days according to the color expected to obtain.

After filtering, the liquid is ready for dyeing.

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing).

To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by their small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

Usually the pulp is dyed in the vat before forming the sheets.

Korea:

Wood is cut in small pieces which are then boiled. The extract is filtered before using it to dye. Dyeing is usually carried out using a highly concentrated bath and then repeating the operation several times.

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Wood

Use for paper making:

Dye

Mordant

Primary tabs

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Caesalpinia sappan L.

Pages

Search form

Search

Primary tabs

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Coix lacryma-jobi L.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc.

Caesalpinia sappan L.

Pages