Lokta ~ handmade ~ batik dyed papers

Lokta paper is made from the bark of a variety of daphne shrub that only grows at higher altitudes ~ hence Nepal. The shrubs re-grow the bark ~ which can be re-harvested a few years later. The woody fibres are cleaned and re-formed into strong sheets of long lasting ~ chemical free ~ paper. It is a slow and tedious process with little mechanical aid. The final drying is invariably undertaken by wind and sun by small cooperatives living on the mountainsides. The paper is strong and long-lasting. The strength and resistance to wear permits the paper to useful in spite of being very light and thin. The surface is invariably rougher than that expected from everyday office papers. Inks and watercolours ~ and dye fastness ~ need to be tested.

Lokta papers handle almost like cloth when they are wet and so they lend themselves to wax-resist dying by the Batik method. Designs ~ being handmade ~ can vary greatly from different artists ~ and maybe from year to year. Because of this we cannot guarantee repeat stock of any particular item once the listing has run out.