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is an ancient
Arts in Japan Decorative ropework Japanese words and phrases Japanese crafts {{Japan-art-stub
is an ancient Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese artform of knot-tying, most commonly used to decorate envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter (message), letter or Greeting card, card.
Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one o ...
s, called , which are given as gift
A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...
s during holidays like Japanese New Year
The is an annual festival that takes place in Japan. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . Prior to 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year wer ...
(and are then called ) or for special occasions such as births and weddings () or funerals (). The colour of the cord depends on the occasion, or may signify the religious denomination of the giver at funerals.
The stiff rice paper
Rice paper is a product constructed of paper-like materials made from different plants. These include:
*''Thin peeled dried pith of Tetrapanax papyrifer'': A sheet-like "paper" material was used extensively in late 19th century Guangdong, China ...
cord that is used, also called , is created by twisting lengths of rice paper together tightly, before starching them for strength and stiffness, and colouring them with mylar
BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency reflectivity, an ...
or thin strands of silk, or simply by painting the cord.
The art of dates back to Japan's Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...
, during which an envoy from the Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...
brought gifts embellished with red and white hemp strings.
Other forms of include using the cord to create paper jewellery
Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...
, or creating three-dimensional art with different forms used for different auspicious meanings; cranes, frogs, fish, dragons and turtles are amongst the most popular.
In 2019, the Modern Mizuhiki Association was founded in Tokyo.
See also
*Japanese craft
Traditional in Japan have a long tradition and history. Included in the category of traditional crafts are handicrafts produced by an individual or a group, as well as work produced by independent studio artists working with traditional craft mat ...
* Genda Shigyō
Genda Shigyō () is a Japanese paper production company which has produced ceremonial paper goods such as '' mizuhiki,'' gift wrapping and betrothal gifts since 771. It is often known as one of the oldest still-operating companies in the world.
...
, a producer of and one of the oldest companies in the world
*
*
*
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* , envelopes typically decorated with
** Red envelope
A red envelope, red packet, lai see (), hongbao or ang pau () is a gift of money given during holidays or for special occasions such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays. It originated Chinese culture, in China before spreading across parts ...
References
External links
Arts in Japan Decorative ropework Japanese words and phrases Japanese crafts {{Japan-art-stub