Washi Japanese Dolls
Washi Sugata Ningyo is an ancient art form of classical stylized dolls made of a specially crafted paper. The technique has been laboriously taught by masters to but a few reverent students and there remain today only a small number of true Washi artists in Japan.
Eiko Sterchele has been making Washi dolls for many years, both in Japan and the United States. Though she received her initial training in Japan, Eiko has taken the art form to a new level by using it to express her own beliefs, religion, and impressions from Japanese and American history. Not just crafted paper, her dolls are the depths of emotions and feelings. "I have watched Eiko work during the day," says husband David, "and at first it looks like she is asleep at her desk. She's really meditating for her inspiration."
Washi paper is sometimes called rice paper or 1000 year paper and is handmade in Japan. Quality paper is made from hemp or mulberry fibers and its distinguishing characteristics are strength, durability, and beauty. There are only a few people left in Japan who still make Washi paper and they have been designated national treasures by the Japanese government.
There is no coating applied to the finished dolls. The paper is more durable than cloth or some metals. pH is balanced, and the chemical composition of the materials used make it degrade extremely slowly, as opposed to western papers which are much cheaper, but degrade within years. As long as the dolls are not abused, they should last longer than their owners!
Many crafters in the U.S. and Japan use wire frames and other structural materials which make it easier to achieve the shapes which Eiko creates using only paper and one wooden dowel inserted into a black wood base. It can take two weeks to complete an individual doll and most of her creations are one-of-a-kind.
Eiko's dolls have been shown in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and her home state of Michigan. Last year she raised over$700 in Christmas sales which was donated to the Tamon Christian Church in Kobe, Japan to assist in the rebuilding following a devastating earthquake which destroyed the city. A portion of each sale continues to go to Christian charities.
