Japanese art of paper stencils, and katazome is its complement – the traditional art of dyeing textiles using a resistant rice paste which is applied to the cloth, most often through the stencil.
Ise-katagami is the Japanese craft of making paper stencils for dyeing textiles. It has been designated as one of the Important Intagible Cultural Properties of Japan and there is currently a group of masters who are keeping the tradition alive.
Master craftsmen from Japan demonstrate traditional techniques for hand-cutting paper stencils (katagami) and resist-dying silk (katazome).
A selection of Katagami stencils on Pinterest.