This listing is for several pieces of fine antique Japanese embossed "leather paper," known as kinkarakawakami, which I purchased from a seller who attained them as part of a lot of Asian antiques. I've barely begun to dig into what seems a very interesting history to this type of embossed paper, which from what I understand was created to mimic the gold-embossed calf-skin wall coverings from Europe. I've found a few 19th and early 20th c. folding screens incorporating the material (the golden age for kinkarakawakami was the 1880s, during a paper shortage in Europe), including one designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Certainly this is scrap left over from making something else, whether a screen or a box or otherwise, I'm not sure. I believe it likely dates to the late 19th century and is dark brown with gold, dark green, red, silver and additional shades of brown used for the beautiful raised butterflies fluttering around on it in all directions. Certainly all sorts of things one might do with these pieces, including popping the largest in a frame just as it is. I really can't find any other examples of this out there for sale.
Largest piece: 12 3/4" x 10". Smallest piece: 8 1/4" x 4 5/8". As is, with tears and rough edges here and there.
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