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A roll of paper cloth prepared by monks at Tōdaiji temple

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posted on 2025-01-22, 10:47 authored by Daphne Mohajer va PesaranDaphne Mohajer va Pesaran
A roll of paper cloth prepared by the Buddhist monks at Tōdaiji temple. This is a roll of handmade washi paper (senka-shi) made in a specific size and glued together using rice glue. Without wrinkles, a piece of senka-shi measures W31 cm x L42.5 cm, while wrinkled (momigami) measures roughly W30 cm x 41 cm. Monks at this temple undertake an annual series of rituals that begin in earnest in February (selection of monks to participate in the rituals takes place the year prior), during which they crumple these sheets, apply agar agar, and then attach them together to make a bolt of cloth, which they use the following year to produce the kimono they will wear for the series of rituals

Funding

Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

History

Session

T02

Rights owner

Daphne Mohajer va Pesaran

Cultural group

Japanese

Participants

Kōei Hashimura

Country

Japan

Place

Tōdaiji, Nara

Item/object

Roll of paper cloth

Techniques of production

Crumpled, Glued

Materials

Washi

Cultural context/event

Religious

Social group setting

Peers

Location

Temple

Date of creation

2022-02-01

Unique ID

2019SG04-T02-0609

Usage metrics

    Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

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