Chigiri-e

Poems were written on a background of either plain or decorated coloured paper, such as in the textural passages of the Genji scrolls[1] and the Sanju Rokunin Kashu.

In the 11th century calligraphy paper was usually white or light blue: it could be decorated and coloured and then mounted onto a support.

The craft of paper-making had almost disappeared until, in the early 1900s, a craftsman developed Tengujoshi, one of the strongest and finest papers currently made.

It is made with 100% mulberry and is sifted through bamboo boards woven with a layer of silk; only about 100 sheets may be produced in one day.

Traditionally Heian calligraphy backgrounds incorporated Chinese patterns and themes and are often used in woodblock techniques to achieve them (grasses, bamboo, water).