Pressing Sheets In A Paper Workshop

Paper lanterns in red, teal, orange and yellow glow above a wooden workshop where artisans in patterned robes press sheets of handmade paper. Two workers lean over a wide vat, lifting a bamboo screen dripping with pale pulp, while rows of wooden frames nearby hold pastel sheets of pink, cream and green paper set out to dry. Bundles of dried plant fiber in violet, teal and gold stand bunched along the back wall, ready for the next batch. Shelves stacked with rolled paper, folded stacks and woven baskets line the room, and a woman near the doorway inspects a finished sheet held up to the light. Further back, another artisan brushes markings onto a drying board. Each drying frame holds its sheet at a slightly different tone, so no two panels of this batch will ever be mistaken for another.