Italy Trip // My Special Experience at IL PAPIRO

My Special Experience at IL PAPIRO <<Marbling & Book Binding>>

It's the complete article I wrote for the IL PAPIRO company for their blog page ( https://ilpapirofirenze.eu/en/content/11-Blog ).

◎Introduction:

My name is Yuko, a Japanese woman who practices the traditional tea ceremony called Sencha-do.

I traveled to Italy from the end of October for about a week with a simple tea set.

The one of the purposes of this trip was to meet with Italian traditional arts and crafts and to find things I could use for the Sencha-do.

And marbled paper, marbling technique in Firenze was one of my interests to explore.

◎About Sencha-do:

Tea was brought into Japan from China as a medicine first, developed as a beverage in an original way, then advanced to Japanese tea culture, “Chanoyu (Sado)” and “Sencha-do”.

The way of drinking tea which will become Sencha-do was brought from a Chinese monk, Yinyuan Longqi in the middle of the 17th century. He was invited to Japan from China (Quing) as a renowned Obaku sect monk in 1654. The way of drinking tea was one of things (such as Obaku school of Zen Buddhism, their books, Nanso-ga (southern school of Chinese painting), architecture skills, sculpture, or cuisine) he and other monks brought and taught to Japanese monks.

At the time, tea was enjoyed by Chinese Bunjin (Chinese literati men). They enjoyed drinking tea at their atelier, with making poems, doing calligraphy or painting, arranging flowers, burning incense or playing instruments, sometimes alone, sometimes by friends or guests.

The culture was developed by Japanese people who had admired Chinese Bunjin.

The modern Sencha-do in Japan is a series of acts, having a cup of tea with the preparation of the utensils, hanging the scroll, arranging flowers or burning the incense, by a fixed rule, in a refreshing atmosphere, with respect for the history and tradition.

◎Stationary Arrangement:

In Sencha-do, there is "Bunbou Kazari (stationary arrangement)", as it was originally enjoyed with making poems, doing calligraphy and painting at atelier. We usually decorate brush, ink stone, ink stick, paper and so on. So I wanted to try making an Italian "stationary arrangement" by Italian traditional arts and crafts.

like ... paper goods in Firenze, glass pen in Murano, lace mat in Burano.

◎Admiration for Italian Marbled Paper:

The first time I was fascinated by Italian marbled paper was when I saw a Japanese tea box made by wood, Its outside was coated by Japanese lacquer and its inside was decorated by Italian marbled paper. I was amazed by such a beautiful box. And the combination of Japanese lacquer and Italian marbled paper was a surprise.

After a few years, I decided to travel to Italy for the first time. And when I decided it, it was very natural to recall about marbled paper and want to experience and learn, not only to see and buy products.

I already knew IL PAPIRO and had some boxes and tray made by a Japanese box shop, using IL PAPIRO's marbled paper. So I was delighted to know there are workshops held at IL PAPIRO shops.

◎Marbling and Book binding Workshop at IL PAPIRO:

It was amazing to experience the workshop. I really enjoyed it!

In the beginning, I was taught about the history of marbled paper and IL PAPIRO company.

Secondary, I was lectured how it works, how each paper handmade. (it means there is no exactly the "same" paper!)

I could understand each process by listening to the explanation by Alessandra and by seeing works by Susanna.

I was astonished by Susanna's work. She did each work very naturally and easily, like water flows.

She showed me various patterns: from drops, arches, fish bones and peacock feathers...It was like a magic when a certain pattern showed up by a certain way,

I was also surprised that each color mixes and makes beautiful patterns but doesn't melt or blend with other colors.

Then, my turn came.

I followed what Susanna showed me, from dropping each ink on the liquid surface, making patterns with a handle of pen or a tool like comb. The most difficult part was to trace the pattern on a piece of paper.

Susanna dried the paper for me and we moved on the process of the bookbinding. All were very enjoyable to experience and learn.

And finally I could finish making my own notebook.

I respect that Susanna noticed even a tiny gap and fixed it for me each time, from the beginning to the end.

During the workshop, I was told that some materials or processes were changed for the workshop to make it easier or to shorten the time. It means that there are more effort or time taken in the actual process.

I learnt and felt that this beautiful and traditional paper and goods are made, because of the effort, time, artisans' experienced hands and their sincere works like Susanna does, designers' ideas, and people like Alessandra's passionate works or thoughtful care for the customers,

I thank Alessandra and Susanna very much for supporting my experience.

◎Teatime at the Work Shop:

During the exchanging the messages with Alessandra before the trip, I thought of bringing a simple tea set for serving Japanese tea at the workshop, even though in any case I was going to bring some tea utensils for my trip.

There is the word in Japanese tea culture "Mitateru"(to resemble or to use something which wasn't made for a purpose).

I brought one marbled box which I resembled it as a tea (utensils) box and one marbled tray I used as a sweets dish.

About tea, I wanted to let people there experience a type of green tea called "Gyokuro". It's one of the highest grades of Japanese tea.

It differs from the standard Sencha (a classic unshaded green tea) in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun.

The name "Gyokuro" translates as "jewel dew" (or "jade dew"), referring to the pale green color of the infusion.

And it's steeped by hot water in lower temperature and the duration time gets longer, compared to standard Sencha.

It's tea you enjoy a drop by a drop, on your tongue, not through your throat. Specially it has a strong taste of Umami. And as you serve the second cup and third cup, you gradually use hot water in higher temperature.

The tea time with Alessandra, Susanna and Debora was very pleasing to me. I hope they enjoyed the teatime with Japanese Gyokuro and sweets.

◎Closing:

As I meet with various arts and crafts through my tea activity, I am often amazed and do really respect for people's hands that make such beautiful things sincerely and earnestly. I really wish that especially traditional arts and crafts and its skillful technique like IL PAPIRO's would be handed down to the next generations, all the more in this convenient world.

Again, thank you very much for this special experience.

Japanese tea culture relates to various aspects, besides just serving and drinking a cup of tea.

It is a time to prepare, serve and have a cup of tea by yourself or with company.

It is a good communication tool which is sometimes verbal, sometimes nonverbal.

It is our Art of Life.

It is a peaceful escape from this busy and chaotic world.

It is respect to Mother Earth and to enjoy the change of the seasons.

It is gratitude to things and moments you are given.

It is to know that life is love, love is to understand, to understand is to forgive, to forgive is to live forgiven.

I hope those wonderful things in Japanese tea culture are shared, spread and handed down, wishing many people are healed, encouraged, touched, pleased and grown by tea.

Yuko 

《 The photos of IL PAPIRO workshop and my stationary arrangement by Italian traditional arts and crafts 》