Katagami, Part 2

T&CC 1984.68.39, katagami stencil

Here at the Design Center, we are incredibly fortunate to house 44 unique katagami stencils. Donated by Jack and Helen Bershad in the 1980s, it was noted that these stencils likely date to the Meiji Era in Japan which would place them between the years 1868-1912. The beautiful botanical and geometric designs the katagami stencils feature had a resurgence in popularity in the late 20^th century and early 21^st century.

In fact, our very own katagami stencils were displayed in an exhibition here at the Design Center in 1985. Their display was an attempt to bring awareness to this incredibly special craft. The exhibit, titled “Katagami: The Art of Japanese Stencils,” included a selection of our stencils that were carefully mounted and hung on the gallery walls for attendees to view. A variety of photographs were also displayed and depicted the process of dyeing with these historical stencils. Below is the announcement for that exhibit and some images that were on display.

My final project as a Collection Intern here at the Textile and Costume Collection was to unearth our katagami pieces and digitize them. This involved photographing and cataloging each one. It has been a great opportunity to expose myself to the wonderful design elements these stencils have to offer. They are truly inspiring. Our hope is that they can inspire other students who may discover our collection digitally and we encourage scheduling a visit to the Design Center to see their incredible detail in person!