Subject: Japanese paper collections for sale
**** Moderator's comments: Please respond directly to the author. Two Japanese conservation paper collections for sale: Descriptive Sample Books of Japanese Conservation Papers. Two-volumes, 9-1/4 x 6 inches, describing sixty-six papers with full-sized samples of each paper interleaved before its description. Bound Japanese style with slate-green dyed and sized kozo covers, unryushi endleaves, plum thread, and brocade corner pieces. The two volumes are placed within a four-sided, Japanese-style, cloth folding case closed with bone clasps. The set is the proposal for a never-realized project (one of only two existing prototypes) that shows samples of the best, pure-fibered, hand-made Japanese conservation papers imported into North America. The volumes were intended to include not only technical information from the makers but also independent testing for wet and dry strength and pH. The latter tests were never carried out and thus the project languished, but much invaluable information was gathered from the paper suppliers regarding the manufacturer's technical information (and the complier's inquiries along these lines resulted in several of the suppliers now including some of the information in their catalogues and prices lists as a matter of course, although the level of detail recorded in the books is much more extensive). As the Note on the Descriptions states, "The papers are arranged in order of weight, from lightest to heaviest, expressed in g/m2. The place of origin begins with the name of the Prefecture (ken/fu) followed by the old Province name (kuni) in square brackets, and then follow, where possible, the district (gun), town (machi/cho) or village (mura/son), and the cooperative union and/or individual maker." In addition are listed the paper fiber, additive (if any), dimension (in mm and inches), weight, cooking solution, bleaching and beating methods, screen and drying methods, and bibliographic references (in some cases pH values are provided by the suppliers). The preliminaries (which include the Note on the Descriptions, a bibliography of important Japanese paper reference books, and the list of suppliers) and descriptive grids are printed by letterpress, with the gathered information for the particular sheets written in by hand. The price for the set is $500. Photos of the volumes and case will be sent upon request. Inventory of a Wide Selection of Hand-made Japanese Conservation Papers. Associated with the above book project are about 189 sheets of 60 or so varieties of the best Japanese, pure-fiber, hand-made Washi available from four North American suppliers. Although the selection is extensive, there are typically only a few full sheets (from 1 to, say, 10) of each kind. The sheets range in size from 13 x 15 inches up to 38 x 74 inches and range in weight from 7 to 91 g/m2. These sheets would serve as a particularly valuable sampler for purposes of hands-on evaluation, testing, and assessment for conservation work. The inventory in the form of a Word document showing supplier, cooking, dimension in inches, g/m2, number of sheets, and original price paid per sheet will be sent upon request. The price for the collection of papers is $1000, which is about half the price paid in ca. 1996, and in many cases the costs for these papers have nearly doubled. Please kindly contact: Mark Argetsinger 735 Mt. Hope Ave. Rochester, NY 14620 585-546-6902 Fax: 585-546-3391 archetyp [at] rochester__rr__com *** Conservation DistList Instance 18:15 Distributed: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Message Id: cdl-18-15-011 ***Received on Saturday, 11 September, 2004