Nepalese Mountain Paper

Nepalese mountain papers are traditional mountain papers from Central and eastern Nepal. These are translucent and aesthtically beautiful handmade papers. These are made from the lokta bark fiber. Lokta is a Himalayan shrub found at high altitudes in the forests of foothills. The bark is stripped and the plant is cut just above ground level.

Making of Nepalese Mountain Paper

• Boil the bark fiber in long strips in an alkali solution.
• Soften the fibers and beat with a wooden hammer on a flat stone.
• Mix the resulting pulp with water and pour onto a mould.
• The Nepalese paper mould is made of wood with a cotton cloth cover.
• Spread the pulp on the floating mould in a vat.
• Lift the mould and allow to dry.
• The sheet of paper dries on the mould and then peel off.

Applications of Nepalese Mountain Paper

• Earlier they were used in montaseries for manuscripts and woodcut prints.
• Used for printmaking and drawing in ink.
• Used in screens and lampshades.
• For gift wrapping.
• Also used for book binding when combined with any other strong handmade paper.