Kappa-Zuri Japanese Woodprint
1973
Signature Yoshitoshi Mori '73
Number 9 of 50
Benkei and Ushiwakamaru on the Gojo-bridge

Dimensions: 87 cm x 62 cm

The Technique of the "KAPPA-ZURI" Stencil Prints

It is impossible to seperate Yoshitoshi Mori's stencil prints from his "Kappa-Zuri" technique. His style represents a near perfect fusion of the two.

In producing his prints, Mr. Mori first produces a sketch. When the sketch is finished to his satisfaction, he then places it on the top of a brown paper stencil, which consists of several thin layers of feather-like paper, bound together with lacquer and moisture-proofed with tannin. (Kappa means binding feather together, and zuri means print).

Mr. Mori then proceeds to cut away the stencil with a tiny, sharp knife until the sketch has been transferred onto the stencil. In adding color to the print, he protects the rice paper with a special paste, so tha the vegetable pigments are applied only where he wants them. On occasion he uses brushes to apply hal-tone colors.
When the print is completed, the paste is washed off in the final stage.