Stripes

Stripes are another area of specialized skill for the katagami carver. An unsteady hand or a catch in the knife renders the page unusable. Throw it away and start again. Many of the stripe stencils in this group are showcases for carving skills. See that stencil in the top row that looks like a moiré pattern? Look at it in detail and you will see that the stripes are so fine and regular that it shimmers. Fine lines are arrested to reveal a coin or vine, which is just showing off. Similarly, several patterns use a strategy of sculpted stripes, where a thickening or thinning of the line crafts atmospheric conditions like mist.