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is an ancient Japanese artform of knot-tying, most commonly used to decorate 
Other forms of include using the cord to create paper
Arts in Japan Decorative ropework Japanese words and phrases Japanese crafts {{Japan-art-stub
is an ancient Japanese artform of knot-tying, most commonly used to decorate envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card.
Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one of three shapes: a rhombus, a sh ...
s, called , which are given as gifts during holidays like Japanese New Year
The is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . However, some traditional events of the Japanese New Year are par ...
(and are then called ) or for special occasions such as births and weddings () or funerals (). The colour of the cord depends on the occasion, or may signify the religious denomination of the giver at funerals.
The stiff rice paper
"Rice paper" has many varieties such as rice paper made from tree bark to make drawing and writing paper or from rice flour and tapioca flour and then mixed with salt and water to produce a thin rice cake and dried to become harder and paper-like ...
cord that is used, also called , is created by twisting lengths of rice paper together tightly, before starching them for strength and stiffness, and colouring them with mylar
BoPET (biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, gas and a ...
or thin strands of silk, or simply by painting the cord.
The art of dates back to Japan's Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...
, during which an envoy from the Sui dynasty brought gifts embellished with red and white hemp strings.
Other forms of include using the cord to create paper jewellery
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...
, or creating three-dimensional art with different forms used for different auspicious meanings; cranes, frogs, fish, dragons and turtles are amongst the most popular.
In 2019, the Modern Mizuhiki Association was founded in Tokyo.
See also
*Japanese craft
Traditional in Japan have a long tradition and history. Included in the category of traditional crafts are handicrafts produced by an individual or a group, as well as work produced by independent studio artists working with traditional craft m ...
* Genda Shigyō, a producer of and one of the oldest companies in the world
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* , envelopes typically decorated with
** Red envelope
In East and Southeast Asian cultures, a red envelope, red packet or red pocket () is a monetary gift given during holidays or for special occasions such as a wedding, a graduation, or the birth of a baby. Although the red envelope was populari ...
References
External links
Arts in Japan Decorative ropework Japanese words and phrases Japanese crafts {{Japan-art-stub