Yellow paste paper 1700 - 1800

This is an anonymous sheet of yellow paste paper, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The process involved here is simple enough: pigment mixed into a starchy paste, then combed or manipulated across the surface of the paper to create a striated effect. The result is surprisingly compelling, with the color having a subtle depth and the pattern suggesting wood grain or the shimmer of textile. This was a low-cost way of adding visual interest to functional objects—bookbindings, boxes, and so on. Paste papers were once considered a minor craft, yet their production required skill, and real aesthetic sensibility. Moreover, this example reminds us that even the most quotidian things are the result of creative labor, and deserve our attention. Recognizing that fact is key to breaking down the old hierarchy of art and craft.