hōsho 奉書

An abbreviation of hōshogami 奉書紙, hōsho paper. A type of *washi 和紙 (Japanese paper). A thick, smooth, white paper made from the fiber of the mulberry tree, or kōzo 楮 (see *choshi 楮紙). The finest quality paper is of pure kōzo but most papers sold today as hōsho contains some wood pulp. Hōsho is thought to date back to the Kamakura period and the term originally meant a form of governmental decree. Instead of giving orders directly, a shōgun 将軍 or person of high office would give his commands in written form without signing his name. Gradually hōsho came to mean the type of paper on which the orders were written.
In the Edo period hōsho was used for most documents as well as calligraphy, and from late Edo onwards for *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 woodblock prints. As it was used by all the feudal clans, production was widespread, but of all production areas Echizen 越前 (modern Fukui Prefecture) produced the highest quality paper called echizen hōsho 越前奉書, which was thick, white, and supple (often called *masa 柾). Hōsho was used for special full-color prints *nishiki-e 錦絵 including many of the exquisite *surimono 摺物, individually produced Edo period works. Easily burnished, hōsho readily picked up gauffrage or crimping. Hōsho is produced in various sizes, of which the most important are *ōbōsho 大奉書 (large hōsho), chūbōsho 中奉書 (medium hōsho), *kobōsho 小奉書 (small hōsho), and takenaga bōsho 丈長奉書 (long hōsho). The size of paper is suitable in format size *hangata 判型 for ukiyo-e prints. When halved lengthways hōsho is also used for paper scrolls makigami 巻紙. Today hōsho is still produced in Fukui Prefecture and is used for formal documents and for printmaking.