Katagami
/ˌkɑː.təˈɡɑː.mi/noun
A Japanese stencil made from specially prepared paper, traditionally used to create patterns for dyeing textiles.
Did you know?Traditional Ise katagami stencils can be strengthened with persimmon tannin and silk fibers, allowing patterns finer than a millimeter to be repeatedly printed onto fabric.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
kata
“Form, shape, model, or pattern”
Old Japanese
Japanese
kami
“Paper; the native Japanese word later used in compounds for paper objects”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
katagami
“Pattern paper or paper used as a cutting template”
Edo Period
Japanese
伊勢型紙 (Ise katagami)
“Specialized stencil paper associated with Ise and used in textile dyeing”
20th Century
English
katagami
“A Japanese stencil technique and the durable paper stencils themselves”
Modern English
English
katagami
“Japanese stencil paper used especially for resist-dyeing textile designs”