The Japanese Art of Silk Marbling Used by Hermès

Droplets, waves, and mountains—the etchings held prisoner in blocks of stone—served as inspiration for the marbled paper crafted by Japanese master bookbinders.

While inkjet printing has replicated these effects on fabric, it has never matched the delicacy and radiance of the original patterns, rediscovered by Hermès in an old album from the archives of its Lyon textile division.

After years of research, the traditional technique of silk marbling—using a compressed, through-colored starch paste—was revived in Kyoto. Today, the Nose family preserves this rare and exquisite craft.

Directed by Frédéric Laffont.