TRADITIONAL HANDMADE PAPER IN NEPAL
by Deepak R. Shreshta
It is claimed that papermaking in Nepal is one of the oldest household-based industries, dating back to the 11th century. Scriptures and other religious inscriptions are evidence of this dating. The traditional art of making handmade paper in an ancient art in Nepal, and no one can say for certain when and how this ancient art came into Nepal. Perhaps the technology was brought to the country from China from tradesmen and workers who journeyed on the trade route to present-day India.
The technique of Nepalese handmade paper was gradually picked up by the Gurunga and Magars in Western Nepal and by the Rais and Limbu in the eastern region of the country. It is also claimed that during the reign of King Ansubarma of Lichibi period, Princess Bhrikuti married King Shrongchong of Tibet to settle the political disturbances of these two countries. After the marriage, Nepalese artists went to Tibet to teach Nepalese tradition and culture as well as handmade papermaking technique.
Nepali traditional handmade paper is mostly made form the bark of the shrubs called Lokta. The local names of these shrubs are Baruwa, Sikra, Susu, Kagate paat and Lokati. The bark of these shrubs are collectively called Lokta. They grow in the Northern Himalayan region at an altitude of 5,000 to 11,000 feet. The best quality can be found at between 7,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level.
The people who make this traditional paper go in groups into the forest to collect the Lokta bark. The bark is generally collected in the months of January, February and March. People cut down the Lokta and strip the bark from the fallen shrubs. The Lokta bark is put in baskets and carried to the workplace. Most of the papermakers are small farmers living in mountainous areas where Lokta grows and near streams with clear water.
After completion of rice harvesting, they all engage in papermaking. The season of papermaking begins in late November and goes until their work of transplanting rice, which begins in July. The main occupation of the papermakers is agriculture and papermaking is only a sideline. They make paper and sell it in the city.
Raw Materials:
The raw materials of traditional handmade paper, Lokta, belongs to the Daphne species and the Thymeleacea family. The inner bark is used to make paper. In Nepal, many kinds of Daphne are available such as Daphne Bholua, Daphne Papyracea, Daphne Retusa, Daphne Sureil, Daphne Involucrate and Daphne Cannabis. Among these species, Daphne Papyracea and Daphne Cannabis are most commonly used to make handmade paper. The variants of the Daphne (Lokta) are known by different names according to the localities in which they are grown.
Usually the height of the plant is 4ft to 8 ft. Scented white or purple flowers appear in the months of March and April before the leaves come out. In its third or fourth year of growth, the bark can be used for papermaking. The fibers of Lokta are comparatively long (7 mms to 11 mms), so that paper made of this plant fiber is much stronger than paper made of other fibers.
Lokta cutters harvest Lokta in the months of January, February and March depending on the locality and after the plants have shed their leaves.
Papermaking is actually a very simple process, though many steps are required to break down the fiber of the plant into the clean pulp. People cut down the plant and strip the bark from the fallen branches. They clean the bark and strip off the outer black layer. Then the clean bark is dried in the sun for 2 to 3 days, and stored until the day when papermaking begins.
Preparation:
Before papermaking starts, the required quantity of Lokta bark is soaked in water for 2 to 4 hours and even up to 24 hours, depending upon the stiffness of the bark. Before boiling the bark, an alkaline solution must be made for digesting the raw materials.
First, wood ashes are collected and put into a conical bamboo basked called a "Doko". A vessel is placed below the Doko and water is poured over the wood ash. The water seeps through the layers of and collect in the vessel, producing the alkaline solution.
After preparation of the alkaline solution, a large copper vessel called a "Khadkulo", or a vessel made of zinc, is filled about 3/4 of the way with water and heated. Wood is vital to the papermaking process, both as fuel and to make wood ash lye. Using chemical lye significantly minimizes the need for wood and thus aids in conservation of the limited forest resources.
The soaked bark is put into the vessel, piece by piece, and the alkali is added. The bark is then boiled for 4 to 5 hours until it becomes quite soft. It is left for a few hours to steam thoroughly, and then the soft bark is taken out and spread over a mat. After the Lokta bark is boiled, the lye and natural oil should be washed away, so bark is cleaned with water in a stream. Small impurities are removed from the softened Lokta bark. Next the bark is beaten with wooden hammers called "Mugro" on a flat stone until it is converted into a pulpy state. This process is known as the most important stage because the final quality of paper depends on it.
Sheet Making Process:
The quality of the handmade paper not only depends on the raw materials, but also on the different processes the papermaker performs. The hand beaten Lokta (pulpy stage) is placed in a vessel and the required amount of water is added. This mixture is vigorously agitated, using a stirrer called a "Madani", made of bamboo split into three sections.
The wooden frames made of light, strong wood with cotton cloth stretched over them must be checked. These frames are rectangular in shape. If the two diagonals of the frame are not equal, the paper will be skewed.
Then, a pit has to be dug near a stream or other source of water in which the wooden frame can easily be floated. The depth of this vat is about 1.5 to 2 ft. A frame is placed on the surface of the vat containing water and the required quantity of pulp poured over it. Paper quality and thickness are controlled by varying the portion of pulp to water. The pulp and water are mixed uniformly by hand, and the frame is moved with a swinging motion until the fiber spreads uniformly over the cloth. Once the fibers have been spread evenly, the frame is lifted from the water and the water is allowed to drain away. Creating an even sheet of paper requires skill. It takes a delicate touch gained only from experience.
The frame with its wet layer of pulp is placed in the sun to dry. The paper pouring process is repeated until the pulp is used up.
It takes one or two hours for the wet paper to dry on the frame depending on paper thickness and the amount of sunlight. When the paper is perfectly dry, it is slowly removed from the frame using a wooden spatula, or fingers. Then the paper is folded into bundles. A 20-sheet bundle is called one "Dhep", and a 200-sheet bundle is called one "Kori".
Uses of Handmade Paper in Nepal:
Lokta paper has various uses; for many centuries, it had been used for legal documents. In olden times, people used it as an antiseptic. When they had a wound, they adhered a piece of Lokta paper on the wound to stop the bleeding. Even now, some men use Lokta paper when they cut themselves shaving.
Lokta paper has excellent archival properties. It has great folding endurance and is never attacked by silver fishes, nor does it absorb the ink. If black ink is used, it will never fade.
Note: Deepak Shreshta wrote this article for Victoria Paper in January 1992. He is a master papermaker, preferring the traditional method and the use of earth dyes. His papers have a very rugged finish and are extremely beautiful. At that time, he began making paper cloth made of cut paper threads. The cloth was only available in Japan as a result of his exhibiting there more than three times in Tokyo. We are very grateful for his contribution to the industry.
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