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| Xuan paper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Wang Xizhi'sLantingji Xu on Xuan paper. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 宣紙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 宣纸 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Paper of Xuan Cheng"(Xuan Cheng, or the Xuan Prefecture, is the origin of the Xuan paper trade) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | giấy Tuyên giấy Xuyến chỉ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hán-Nôm | 絏宣 絏宣紙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 선지 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 宣紙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 宣紙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kana | せんし | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Xuan paper,Shuen paper, orrice paper, is a kind ofpaper originating in ancientChina used for writing and painting. Xuan paper is renowned for being soft and fine-textured, suitable for conveying the artistic expression of bothChinese calligraphy andpainting.
Xuan paper was first mentioned in ancient Chinese booksNotes of Past Famous Paintings andNew Book of Tang. It was originally produced in theTang dynasty inJing County, which was under the jurisdiction ofXuan Prefecture (Xuanzhou), hence the name Xuan paper. During the Tang dynasty, the paper was often a mixture ofhemp (the first fiber used for paper in China) and mulberry fiber.[1] By theSong dynasty, the paper producing industries in Huizhou and Chizhou were gradually transferred to Jing County.
Due to different producing methods, Xuan paper can be classified intoShengxuan,Shuxuan, andBanshuxuan. Shengxuan (literally "Raw Xuan"), which is not specially processed, excels in its ability to absorb water, causing the ink on it to blur. Shuxuan (literally "Ripe Xuan"), however, has asizing based onpotassium alum applied to the paper during production, which results in a stiffer texture, a reduced ability to absorb water, and less resistance toshear stress (meaning that it can be torn much more easily). This feature makes Shuxuan more suitable forGongbi rather than Xieyi. Banshuxuan (literally "Half-ripe Xuan") has intermediate absorbability, between Shengxuan and Shuxuan.
Xuan paper features great tensile strength, smooth surface, pure and clean texture and clean stroke, great resistance to crease, corrosion, moth and mold.[2] The majority of ancient Chinese books and paintings by famous painters that survived until today are well preserved on Xuan paper. Xuan paper won the Golden Award at the Panama International Exposition in 1915. Xuan paper was used to make scrolls.
The material Xuan paper uses is closely related to the geography of Jing County. The bark ofPteroceltis tatarinowii, a common species in the area, was used as the main material to produce Xuan paper.[2]Rice along with several other materials were subsequently added to the recipe, during the Song and Yuan dynasties.Bamboo andmulberry also began to be used to produce xuan paper around that time.
The production of Xuan paper can be loosely described as an 18-step process, but a detailed account would involve over a hundred steps. Some paper makers have invented steps which have been kept secret from others. The process includes steaming and bleaching the bark ofPteroceltis tatarinowii as well as the addition of a variety of juices.
