Katazome papers, are decorated with a combination of stenciling and resist dyeing.  Katazome is a precise and laborious process.  A rice starch paste is applied through a “kata,” or stencil form onto the surface of a medium-weight kōzo paper. After the paste is dried, the paper surface rinsed and dried again, pigment is applied to the paper by hand using a badger-tail brush; color by color brushed on and left to dry in between applications. The pigment is absorbed into the paper wherever there is no leftover paste. The paste serves exactly the same function as wax does in batiking.  More than 25 resist-dyed patterns are featured in our collection, based on Okinawan “Bingata” traditional designs, as well as designs reminiscent of exotic Southeast Asian batiks.