Tibetan Papermaking Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Since the time of Princess Wencheng's marriage far away to Tibet in the Tang dynasty, the introduction of Central-Plains paper-making to Tibet has a history of over thirteen hundred years. Since the 8th century, to meet the need of sutra translation, the Tibetan people continuously learned from and borrowed the advanced paper-making techniques of neighboring peoples, used local materials, and produced Tibetan paper with distinct local characteristics. The Tibetan paper-making industry was not only fully spread throughout the Tibetan region but also introduced to countries such as India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Tibetan paper uses as main raw materials wolf's-bane (Stellera chamaejasme), agarwood, the cornus-family's dengtai tree (torchwood), and the rhododendron-family's wild-tea-flower tree; according to the differences in raw-material quality, various kinds of Tibetan paper of different uses and grades can be made. The paper-making process generally includes steps such as bark-removal, chopping and pounding, steaming and boiling, retting, rinsing, pounding the material, beating the pulp, and sheet-forming. With social and historical development, the Tibetan paper-making craft formed a pattern of multiple types developing together. The eastern Tibetan region abounds in Kang paper; southern Tibet abounds in Jindong paper, Tabu paper, Gongbo paper, Bodui paper, and Men paper (paper of the Lhoba and Monpa areas); the Ü-Tsang region abounds in Ni paper, Zang paper, Nie paper (Nyalam paper), Mengga paper, ash paper, and Ali paper, among others. The improvement and spread of paper-making technology brought forth successive renowned masters in the Tibetan paper industry, who created many finely crafted famous papers, such as Jindong paper—produced in Tabu's Jindong and renowned throughout Tibet—and the toxic paper of Nimu County, suited for stored documents. Many specially surface-finished paper products are even more remarkable to the world: for instance, the fine Tibetan paper used to print banknotes and postage stamps, and the exquisitely crafted paper for the Golden-ink and Silver-ink editions of the Tibetan Buddhist canon are conspicuous examples. Because the plateau is dry and oxygen-poor and the raw material is somewhat toxic, Tibetan paper has the properties of anti-corrosion, anti-moth, and anti-dampness, and is easy to preserve long-term; its texture is relatively supple and resilient, durable over time, and its colors are rich and varied, with decorative beauty.
Five local plants
Daphne, agarwood, Clerodendrum and wild camellia give papers of different grades; the Daphne bark must be soaked long before it can be worked.
Kang, Jindong and Tabu papers
Eastern Tibet makes kang paper and the south makes Jindong and Tabu, each with its own weight, mould marks and customary uses.
Eight stages from bark to sheet
Stripping, beating, boiling, retting, washing, pulping and moulding on a bamboo screen — whose marks remain in the finished sheet.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Tibetan paper-making craft has formed, across various parts of Tibet, a pattern of multiple types developing together; eastern Tibet abounds in Kang paper, and southern Tibet in Jindong paper, Tabu paper, and others. Tibetan paper uses as main raw materials wolf's-bane (Stellera chamaejasme), agarwood, the cornus-family's dengtai tree, and the rhododendron-family's wild-tea-flower tree; according to the differences in raw-material quality, various kinds of Tibetan paper of different uses and grades can be made. The Lhasa Caiquan Welfare Ethnic Handicraft Co., Ltd. is the project's protecting unit.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The superb Tibetan paper-making skill, the long history of Tibetan paper, and the rich experience of Tibetan paper production have created a uniquely characteristic Tibetan paper culture, and it is necessary to give this important intangible cultural heritage effective protection. Tsering Dorje (per the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Tibetan ethnicity, born April 1950, a native of Nimu County, Tibet Autonomous Region. Representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of the Tibetan paper-making craft, an Intangible Cultural Heritage project. A Tibetan paper-making technician. Nimu Tibetan paper has a long history, traceable in historical records to the mid-7th century, passed down through generations, mostly transmitted within families. He can make five or six kinds of paper with different patterns, and five kinds of paper for different uses, such as ordinary writing paper, painting paper, lampshades, packaging boxes, and mending paper. Over the years he has made great efforts for the better transmission of the Tibetan paper-making craft.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Cirenduojie 03-1332
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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