Washi.

Through nearly 200 artworks, documents,and interactive elements, the exhibition catalogue explores the making ofwashi, the material’s versatility, its historical role, and contemporaryreinterpretations, with an emphasis on the preservation and restoration ofpaper. The main thematic sections explore the biology of washi; the making ofwashi; the relationship between paper and ink in calligraphy and painting; therelationship between paper and woodblock printing, books, and visual culture;and the many roles of paper in Japanese life, from architecture, ritual,hygiene, packaging, clothing, and seasonal festivals to contemporary art,design, conservation, and museum interpretation. The exhibition is based onresearch projects conducted at the Parkes Collection at the Victoria and AlbertMuseum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London), and on local surveys anddiagnostics related to paper-based Japanese objects.