| OCR Text |
Show construction, merely an oblong wooden tub about four feet wide, seven fee long an tw fee deep, the timber about three inches in thickness. A mase-geta, The comb-like agitator is removable at will and swings casil from the tops of these supports, as is clearly shown in photograph 36. Whe not in use the mase, or stirring implement, hangs upon the wall. The handmade paper vat of Japan, unlike that of Europe, has no pipes, permanen agitator ("hog"), bridge, or any appurtenances whatever, save the mase an the mase-geta. Set flush with the bottom of the vat are two separate rows o tile, which serve no more important purpose than as buffers for the woode bucket when the vat is empticd. Tn some vats these tiles arc ornamental but apparently their only mission s to prevent the ballmg receptacle fro scxapin the wooden bottom of the vat. No drains are suppl nmence swork: The vat s filed with pure water to within abou ldu lfour qdcd wooden forms, much in th into bricks. Each of these moist block a certain size and thickness mple and from all indication most practical. The blocks of pulp needed are placed in the vat of wate with the nori, or size (Part I); the mase, or agitator, is next put in place o the supports, and the mass in the vat given a most thorough stirring. Thi mixes the pulp and water, forming an "cmulsion" of countless individua fibres in suspension. The stirring process requires considerable time an must be done at certain intervals, as well as when new blocks of pulp ar added to the diminishing stock in the vat The vat charged with water, pulp, and nori and momughly agitated the worker is ready to form paper upon the mould. As will be seen i Digitalimage© 2004 Marriott Library, University of Utah. All ights reserved |
