Stencil

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 19th-century Japanese, crafted from layered paper and silk, measures 22¼ x 16⅞ inches and exemplifies the intricate artistry of katagami, traditional stencils used in textile dyeing. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Department as a gift from Mrs. Horaceemeyer in 1942, its delicate leaf motifs—evident from the design tags—reflect Japan's profound appreciation for nature's fleeting beauty, a hallmark of Edo-period (1603–1868) and Meiji aesthetics. Katagami stencils were essential tools for katazome, a resist-dyeing technique where rice paste applied through the st...