Stencil Item Number: Ed5.3062 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

The rectangular stencil has cut designs of maple leaves, diagonal lines representing branches and six pairs of dots and two single dots. There are register points which may be part of the design.

History Of Use

The katazome method of dying fabric used a resist paste applied through a stencil; when the paste dried the stencil was removed and colour was applied by brush. The paste was then washed away leaving undyed areas to form pattern against coloured ground. Prior to the 16th century cut stencils were used to colour leather armour. However, during the Edo Period (1603-1868) the technique was developed as a true native craft.

Cultural Context

fabric printing