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Paper by Mr. Ichibei Iwano

Hosho paper from Mr. Ichibei Iwano

We have wanted for quite some time to include Iwano-san's paper in our selection on the [Baren] Mall, but it was not possible, as for many years now he has only been able to accept orders from long-time clients. But in Japan these days, many of those clients (woodblock print publishers primarily) are falling on hard times, and the resulting shrinkage of his order book has opened up a window of opportunity for overseas printmakers. The [Baren] Mall is pleased to announce that we now carry this wonderful paper.

Iwano-san is the 9th man to carry the name 'Iwano Ichibei', and in a very rare step in the papermaking world he became a few years ago the second of the line to be elevated to the status of 'Living National Treasure' by the Culture Ministry of the Japanese Government.

His paper is - quite simply - 'nihon ichi', the best paper of its type in the country. Very smooth in texture, and extremely strong (due to his skill in rocking the dipping frame in such a way to properly 'entangle' the mulberry fibres), it is unparalleled for traditional Japanese printmaking.

 

It is not cheap, but when measured against the increased value of the resulting print, it is a wonderful bargain. We have no idea how long we will be able to carry Iwano-san's paper in the Mall, and hesitate to 'push' you by saying "Get some while you have a chance!", but actually, that is the situation ... :-)

The sheets are not trimmed, have four natural 'deckle' edges, are sized by hand, and are medium in weight. The current batch we have in stock measures 48.5 cm by 60 cm (larger than our previous shipment).

The price is $18.50 per sheet, plus a 'flat-fee' shipping charge of $12.00, covering any quantity from one sheet to a hundred.

Note: to North American paper dealers: although our price per sheet on this paper is near (or below) the cost you are paying to import such paper, we are sorry, but we cannot supply your needs - this page is for retail orders from printmakers only. Thank you for your understanding.

Order form for this paper

Important notice: Iwano-san is a paper maker, and does not sell sheets one-by-one to individuals. The [Baren Mall] is ordering from him by the crate, and is stocking the paper in the US. Your order will not be shipped directly from Japan, but from the US stock, so you may order any quantity from one sheet up ... Because of this, shipping must be charged separately from that for products in this Mall coming from Japan. A 'flat-fee' shipping charge of $12.00 will be automatically applied to all orders for paper from these two men. (This is for continental US destinations. Other customers please write for a shipping quotation before placing an order)

Select the quantity you wish to purchase then click on the 'Add to Cart' button. (If the exact quantity you want is not shown on this drop-down list, just select '1' and then manually adjust the quantity when you are viewing your shopping cart.)

Number of sheets:

Comments from other printmakers who have used this paper is available on a feedback page, and if you have such experience, we invite your input too. Please use the Customer Feedback Form.