青幻舎 SEIGENSHA Art Publishing

As the successor to Karacho, a Kyoto establishment founded in 1624, Kira Karacho is the only maker of karakami decorative woodblock-printed paper today that can claim to have been in the business since premodern times. From its work with traditional sliding doors and wallpaper to the restoration of cultural artifacts to the creation of contemporary art pieces, the company dedicates itself to conveying the endlessly variable beauty of karakami to the world; each pattern on its karakami is painstakingly hand-printed and communicates a special message, such as the hope for peace or good luck. Thirty of those patterns handed down in Kyoto over the centuries figure in this gorgeous little book of ninety-six sheets that can be detached and used as letter paper.