Antique Japanese Katagami Kimono Stencils (Set of 3)

Katagami are handcut on mulberry paper layers laminated and waterproofed with persimmon juice. They date back to the Edo and Meiji periods (1789-1912). Later ones used silk mesh backing to hold the patterns in place, as seen on one of our three. Tiny holes helped artisans fit their patterns to textiles. Resist printing was used where a paste was applied to the fabric with the katagami before it was dipped in ink, the open space becoming negative space on the printed design.
 
Ours are most likely from the very early 1900s and were probably purchased by Alice and Marion Burr in the 1920s or 1930s. 
 
All three have been stored flat for decades, although one shows signs of some curling when laid flat for photography. 
 
Small Floral Pattern: H 8 1/2” x L 6 1/4”
Pineapple Like Pattern: H 16 1/2” x 10”
Geometric Pattern: 16 1/4” x 12 1/4”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.