Papermaker
紙漉き
by Wada Sanzo
- Date:
- c. 1940
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
Typical Price
"Papermaker" (kamisuki) captures a craftsman producing handmade washi paper, the very material upon which prints like this one are printed. This self-referential subject has particular charm for print collectors. Wada's Occupations series lifetime editions sell for $500-$1,100, with posthumous Watanabe reprints at $200-$500. A solid choice for new collectors.
Description
"Papermaker" (Kamisuki) is a color woodblock print from around 1940 by Wada Sanzo depicting the production of [washi](/glossary/washi), traditional Japanese handmade paper. The papermaker stands at the vat, dipping a hinged screen mold called a sugeta into a slurry of [kozo](/glossary/kozo) mulberry fiber and neri formation aid, then lifting and rocking the mold to distribute fibers evenly across its surface. This rhythmic scooping motion, repeated hundreds of times daily, produces sheets of remarkable uniformity through pure bodily skill. Wada's decision to depict the papermaker holds special resonance within the woodblock print tradition, since the very paper on which this image is printed was likely made by a craftsman performing the identical motions shown. The print creates a self-referential loop: the medium depicting the source of its own material support, honoring the foundation upon which the entire Japanese printmaking tradition rests.
