Suminagashi, the technique of floating ink on the surface of water and then transferring the resulting pattern to paper, has been practiced in Japan since at least the 12th century. As with many crafts, it has evolved and changed over time, and the papers produced nowadays bear little resemblance to the papers of old.
In the pages of this website you can find general information about suminagashi, its history, a discussion of inks, materials and techniques, and you can view many examples, both my own work and historical specimens. My primary interest is tracking down and analyzing historical examples of suminagashi with the goal of learning as much as possible about how they were made and the techniques that may have been used to achieve what we see on the paper. By doing so, I hope to help preserve the history and tradition of the craft.