Oshi-e (押絵/押し絵), which literally means “Pressed Picture,” is a traditional form of Japanese handicraft since the Edo period. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the picture is made up of many pieces. Each piece is wrapped in beautiful kimono fabric or paper, padded with cotton in between, and is nailed/glued together to create a three-dimensionally raised ornament.

Oshie is commonly featured as the main decoration (like applique) on various handicrafts (e.g. box making, wall hangings, etc.), or simply mounted directly on Shikishi (色紙 / fancy cardboard) as an artwork of seasonal symbols (e.g., Japanese New Year’s decorations). However, the epitome of elegance and good craftsmanship can be truly seen in Oshie Hagoita, which primarily depicts figure portraits (e.g. Kabuki or Geisha characters).

Hagoita (羽子板 / battledore) is a racket for Hanetsuki (a Japanese badminton-like game with no net, which is played during the New Year period). Any player who is unable to keep the shuttlecock in the air gets their faces drawn with ink. Personally, I think it looks more like an elongated ping-pong paddle.

You may have heard of Kurumi-e (くるみ絵), which means “Wrapping Picture.” It is a term used interchangeably with Oshie nowadays. However, to be precise, Kurumie is actually derived from Oshie, as an elementary level of the craft. The difference is that, while keeping the essence of the ancient Japanese technique, Kurumie uses sponge (foam) in place of cotton. It enables beginners to finish their handiworks beautifully with greater ease, while keeping a reasonable essence of stereoscopic effect.

There are two main materials used for making Oshi-e & Kurumi-e:

Kimono Fabrics
Kimono scraps were used in the olden days. Nowadays, these are not only expensive but hard to come by. In fact, Oshie craftsmen actually seek out the silk in antique markets or get their stock directly from Kyoto kimono makers. For ordinary folks like us, it is definitely easier to buy Chirimen (縮緬/ちりめん/crepe cloth) from craft stores to wrap the cardboard parts.

Fancy Japanese paper
Chiyogami (千代紙) – “a thousand generation paper” – is an alternative to the highly-priced Washi (thick handmade paper). The beautiful craft paper is woodblock-printed with repetitive kimono designs to emulate traditional kimono textile patterns.

My First Attempt at Oshie/Kurumie Craft

I bought an Oshi-e kit that allows me to create a wall display, featuring a cute white bunny playing a drum (on an unframed Shikishi board; 24×27 cm). I personally feel that, as a beginner, buying a kit will be inexpensive and a great way to learn the craft of Oshie (Kurumie) since the main materials needed are included.

In my next blog post, I will be sharing my undertaking of the above Oshie/Kurumie craft kit in detail with you. Please check it out and let me know what you think. ^_^Y