Stencil

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 19th-century Japanese, crafted from paper and measuring 19 x 12 inches, exemplifies the artistry of *katagami*—delicately incised templates pivotal to traditional textile production. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Department, it was generously gifted by Mrs. Horace Havemeyer in1942. During Japan's Edo and early Meiji periods, such stencils were essential tools for artisans, enabling the precise application of dyes in the labor-intensive *yūzen* technique to create vibrant kimono patterns. Made from tough mulberry paper often treated with persimmon tannin for d...