Esmie Exclusive Blue Cranes Photo Album, Medium

Each piece in the Esmie collection boasts a beautiful design known as ‘Yuzen’ or ‘Chiyogami’ which is inspired by textiles dating back to the Edo period in Japan (1603-1868). Every design incorporates symbols of Japanese culture and sensibility, including cranes for long life, blossoms for beauty and longevity and bamboo for flexibility. The colours are applied individually by hand, of which there can be up to seven, all registered with incredible precision, creating an extraordinary depth of colour and pattern. 

The base paper used for each book is a mixture of kozo and sulphite which is both lightweight and extremely durable, making it suitable for many applications including bookbinding, origami, box-making, as well as interior projects such as wall covering and furniture lining.