Book covers during the Edo period consisted of several layers of poor-quality recycled paper followed by a top layer of high-quality, thin, dyed paper which together as a laminate was either burnished or embossed for decoration. Cover makers were part of a larger book production system in Edo responsible for cover making, collation, and sewing of popular side-stitch bindings. Recycled papers were favored as the under sheet for their softness, thickness, and flexibility. As embossed cover decorations became popular in the eighteenth century, these qualities also served to enhance the embossed impression.1 Burnished cover decorations became popular in the early Edo period. To create the design, the cover maker placed a laminate of cover paper and recycled paper, with the recycled-paper side down, on a carved woodblock and rubbed with a boar's tusk or piece of ceramic until the design appeared faintly on the surface. Various designs were used, though small repeated pat- Making Book Cover Papers in Edo, Japan: Burnishing, Embossing, and Recycled Papermaking anne covell Zoho Chutei, Zoku Bunshou Kihan \[Addition to Annotation and Commentary of Sequence of Text Rule\], volumes 4 and 5, date unknown, 7 x 4¾ x ¼ inches, embossed cover design, combined organic and geometric pattern. All photos by and courtesy of the author. summer 2015 - 37 terns were most common. More deeply embossed patterns came into fashion later in the Edo period. For this technique, the cover maker wetted the laminate, placed it on a carved woodblock with the recycled-paper side up, and applied pressure to emboss the pattern into the sheet. Patterns ranged widely from geometric to random. Very little is known about the process used to create recycled papers in the Edo period. Since the paper did not require the same quality as writing paper, recycled papermaking was often undertaken by peasants and poor farmers who had little skill in papermaking. The waste material was not well sorted, which resulted in high contents of fabric, dust, and hair in the finished sheets. Recycled papers were most often gray in tone until processes of ink removal were introduced late in the period.2 To remove ink, the papermaker tore waste paper into small pieces, cooked it in ash and water for several hours, and left it to ferment for two to three days. Afterwards, the papermaker squeezed dry the fermented fiber, placed it in a basket to wash it with cool, running water, then beat it by hand, and rinsed it repeatedly until it turned white. If the fiber at this point was still dark in color, the papermaker cooked it a second time with ash and beat the fiber with white clay to further whiten the fiber.3 trial #1: ink removal Together, Hioki and I tested this process in the summer of 2013. For waste paper we used three historical, damaged, side-stitched softbound books collected by Hioki's colleague Setsuo Kushige, a Japanese paper conservator. We dis-bound the volumes and soaked the text paper and their covers in water overnight. We separated the fiber by weight according to three treatment methods: 1) fiber that would be soaked, but not cooked; 2) fiber that would be soaked, then cooked in wood ash lye; and 3) fiber that would be soaked, then cooked in soda ash alkali. Since method 1 required no cooking, it was set aside as we readied the other fibers. For both methods 2 and 3, we cooked the fibers for roughly two hours to soften and ready them for beating. In this case, the heat generated in cooking also worked to loosen the ink from the fiber so that it could then be rinsed away through repeated washing. After cooking each batch of fiber, we let it cool and then gently rinsed it under water to remove the remaining alkali solution. We then beat each batch of fiber separately for roughly 15 minutes by hand using two wooden mallets, and then rinsed the beaten fiber again under cool water, this time until the water ran clear. The action of beating was believed historically to further loosen the ink from the surface of the paper so that it could more readily be washed away.4 After the first round of beating and washing, we divided the fiber from each batch, saving half at this stage, and then further processed the remaining material through repeated beating and washing. We found that with each subsequent round of processing, the fiber continued to expel ink and became lighter in color. Little is known of the process used for sheet forming recycled papers, whether papermakers used the traditional nagashizuki multi-dip method, a simpler tamezuki single-dip method (similar to Western papermaking), or a han (half) method which utilized a combination of both processes. The range in quality of the historic samples was a direct result of the skill of the papermaker in combination with the quality of raw source materials.5 For these samples, we opted to use the han method presuming that it served as a sort of middle ground between papermakers who would have had little skill historically and papermakers who would have been adept at producing high-quality sheets. Using a deckle box, we simulated a single dip and then, with the help of tororo aoi (formation aid), moved the fibers gently front to back in a rocking motion until all water drained from the mould. The tororo aoi allowed the fibers to drain slowly, providing more time for the fibers to disperse evenly across the mould. In testing the fiber without the use of a formation aid, we found that the water left the mould too quickly, resulting in an uneven sheet. Tororo aoi was an added cost that many cover makers during the Edo period likely could not afford. It was also used primarily in winter due to its tendency to spoil quickly in warmer weather. Detail of gray paper interior and recycled paper cover, 9 x 7¼ x ¼ inches. Ink removal method: Japanese text paper cooking in water and wood-ash alkali. 38 - hand papermaking Therefore, the presence or lack of formation aid in recycled papers is one factor that may account for the wide range in paper quality during the period. We couched the sheets onto a board and stacked them directly on top of each other to form a post. We pressed the post lightly under weight overnight by filling a trashcan with slow-running water and then brushed the sheets onto boards to dry. We found that repeated beating and washing significantly impacted the color and clarity of the finished sheets. However, while this repeated process served to wear down the fibers and yield sheets that were softer and fluffier than traditional high-quality Japanese papers, their thickness and flexibility were not yet consistent with the historic samples. The trial left us with several questions. How were recycled papers pressed? What would happen if less pressure was applied to the post and the sheets were allowed to stay wet longer? How would loft drying the sheets affect their softness and texture? trial #2: new materials In a follow-up trial in 2014, I tested the above method, but this time with new materials. It was my hope that by working with raw fiber, in this case Thai kozo, that I could replicate the look and feel of recycled papers for conservation specification and for use in bookmaking without having to damage historic specimens to produce actual recycled sheets. I began by cooking 700 grams of Thai kozo for two hours in water with 140 grams of soda ash (20 percent of the dry fiber weight). I allowed the fiber to cool overnight and then washed it under cool, running water to remove any remaining spent cooking solution, lignin, waxes, and gums. Next, I beat the fiber in a mechanized stamper for one hour followed by 15 minutes of beating by hand. I continued to wash and beat the fiber in 15-minute intervals until it appeared soft and fluffy to the touch. As in the initial trial, I used the han method of papermaking, and stacked sheets between interfacing to form a post. I then pressed the post lightly overnight, this time only filling the trashcan one-third with water. The following day I separated the sheets, which were still wet and fragile to handle, and laid them to air dry on a screen mesh drying rack. To my surprise, the dried sheets did not cockle and were soft and thick like the historic specimens. From my research I believe three specific factors play a key role in how to replicate recycled papers today. First, fiber must be overly processed through repeated beating and washing to minimize bonding potential. Though this produces a weaker bond, the fibers are softer and more malleable in the finished sheet. Second, sheets must only be lightly pressed. Too much pressure will increase bonds to create a harder, more rigid sheet. Third, sheets must be loft dried so that paper is allowed to dry as a uniform whole. Restraint drying, even on boards, treats each side of the paper differently and gives the side in contact with the board a compacted, shiny look. When practiced together these steps produce a sheet consistent with the softness and thickness characteristic of recycled papers from the Edo period and are ideal for lamination and cover decoration. When scant documentation remains in the historical record, hands-on investigation can be one of the most effective research methods. Through our collaboration as conservator and papermaker, Hioki and I were able to combine scholarly research and practical knowledge to investigate the processes used to create recycled papers in the Edo period. This research will hopefully lead to scientific, scholarly, and practical applications in both the fields of conservation and book arts. ___________ notes 1. Kazuko Hioki, "Japanese Printed Books of the Edo Period (1603–1867): History and Characteristics of Block-printed Books," Journal of the Institute of Conservation vol. 32, no. 1 (2009): 87–88. 2. Ibid., 88. 3. Kazuko Hioki, "Investigation of Historical Japanese Paper: An Experiment to Recreate Recycled Paper from 18th-19th Century Japan," AIC Book and Paper Group Annual (2014): 811. 4. Ibid, 9. 5. Kazuko Hioki, "Japanese Printed Books of the Edo Period," 88. Burnishing cover papers. Embossing cover papers. summer 2015 - 39 Paper Samples: Embossed and Burnished Edo-Period-Style Cover Paper anne covell Of the two paper samples, one has been treated with the embossed technique (as described in the preceding article), while the other has been burnished. Both samples include two layers of handmade recycled Thai kozo and one layer of thin, kakishibu (persimmon tannin) dyed handmade Japanese kozo that I also made and then laminated together with zen shofu (Japanese wheat paste). For each sample, I used a thin application of paste diluted with water in order to maintain flexibility in the laminated sheet. For the covers that were to be embossed, I gently placed each thin kakishibu-dyed sheet on top of its thicker backing layer, being careful not to press too hard or excessively compact the layers, so that the action of embossing would adhere the layers together. Since the covers that were to be burnished would need to fully dry before they could be treated, I rubbed each laminated layer with a bone folder to make sure that they were fully adhered as they dried. To create the embossed sample, I added a thin layer of paste to the outermost dyed sheet and placed the laminated cover recycled-paper side up on a laser-cut woodblock while still damp. Flexing my fingers to make a fist, I gently tamped the cover paper down with the side of my hand. Then I rolled a 1-inch dowel over the block with repeated pressure until the silhouette of the pattern was visible through the back of the cover. Next, I gently pulled the cover from the block, dabbed a small bit of paste on all four corners, and tacked the cover to a piece of Plexiglas to dry. I found this to be a simple and effective method for restraint drying papers without damaging the subtle three-dimensional cover designs. To create the burnished sample, I waited for the laminated cover paper to fully dry and then placed the sample on the laser-cut woodblock with the recycled-paper side down. I added a small dab of paste to the back four corners of the cover and held it in place with my left hand. Using my right hand, I burnished the cover with an agate stone for approximately thirty minutes until the cover pattern was revealed. In this case, the fluffy, recycled paper settled into the recesses of the block creating a slightly concave appearance to the negative space in the design, while the parts of the cover in direct contact with the block were polished to a shine.
