Japanese chiyo-gami paper c 1878.
This chiyo-gami is a brightly coloured woodblock-printed paper made in Japan. It was mainly used for wrapping presents or for the lining of hand boxes, holders for pocket combs or pocket paper, or for making anesama dolls. This paper has a lively design of red and black fish.
The paper was part of a collection of contemporary art wares given to the City of Glasgow by the government of Japan in 1878. In return, industrialists in Glasgow were asked to send examples of their products to the Tokyo National Museum. This exchange was inspired by Scotsman Henry Dyer, Principal and Professor of Engineering at the Imperial College of Engineering in Tokyo, 1873-1882.
Reference: 1878.169.jk
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
anesama dolls, chiyo-gami, fish, Imperial College of Engineering, lining paper, paper, Tokyo National Museum, woodblock-printed paper, wrapping paper