Shifu cho - Japanese handmade paper.

First edition. Number 240 of a limited to 300 copies. Illustrated with 41 tipped-in katazome stencil plates and 47 original paper samples. Text in Japanese and English. Small folio. Original Japanese-style binding with title-slip and folding case with ties. A close to fine copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Bijutsu Shuppansha, 

Goto Seikichiro was born in Oita prefecture in 1898. Having studied both Japanese and Western painting, he moved to Fujinomiya City in 1945 where he began making paper. Prior to that he had traveled to paper-making sites nationwide at the recommendation of Yanagi Soetsu (1889-1961, founder of the mingei movement), studied handmade Japanese paper, worked for the revival of handmade paper-craft wherever he could. His efforts contributed to the revival of Suruga and Kindara washi, and applied techniques such as stencil dyeing and inden kinkaraka to washi craftsmanship for which he was awarded the honour of "Intangible Cultural Treasure" by Shizuoka Prefecture.  

"My expectation has been fulfilled. A few years after his residence at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the fruit of his labour took the shape of a charming collection of papers of his own making. In the world of handicraft no jumping is allowable. Only long years of study and hard work bear good fruit. Mr. Goto began with tapping his paper-making materials; it must have been tedious, pain-staking work for him. Besides, every Japanese was forced to live from hand to mouth after the war, so much so that Mr. Goto's assiduity in such a situation is worthy of special mention." (Foreword by Bunsho Jugaku). Very rare. No copy in OCLC. 

Stock Code: 246171