Kertas pisang (Indonesian, 'banana paper'); バナナペーパー (in Japanese sources)
Handmade paper formed from the pseudostems (the 'trunks') of banana plants that have already fruited, developed in Bali from 1998 for interiors rather than writing. The stems are peeled like an onion, cut small, boiled for hours (with caustic soda, and bleach only when white paper is wanted), beaten soft and washed, then spread by hand and fingers across a string-lined frame submerged in shallow water, a pour-and-spread method its maker compares to Japanese tame-zuki. Sheets are dried upright in the sun and peeled off; unbleached paper ranges from creamy yellow to tan, with every fiber visible. Frames reach three by two meters, a team of three spreads each sheet, and lengths of seven meters are the most common order. Variations include patterned sheets formed over a grid of string with pulp of varying consistency, and thin, fabric-like paper dyed with annatto, turmeric and indigo. The paper goes into partitions, shoji-style screens, lampshades, wall hangings, rugs and even clothing, commissioned by designers and architects across Asia and beyond.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not inscribed
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