The Origin of Crepe Paper

During the Northern Song Dynasty, ribbed paper (then known as “ribbed writing paper”) was already documented in explicit historical records. Su Yijian's Four Treatises on Stationery described its production method as follows: “First, apply starch paste to one side of fine cloth to make it stiff and resilient, revealing its texture—this is called ‘ribbed writing paper.’” This constitutes the earliest reliable documented account of ribbed paper.

The craft of producing Luowen paper took shape during the Song Dynasty. Fine silk threads or horsehair were woven into a basket-like frame for paper-making, creating a texture resembling silk brocade on the paper surface. Primarily used for calligraphy, painting, and literary documents, it became one of the favored paper types among literati, ranking alongside renowned papers like Chengxintang paper.

Though records of ribbed paper in the Yuan Dynasty are relatively scarce, the craft persisted. It remained primarily used for literati painting and calligraphy, as well as transcribing ancient texts, with limited production and application.

During the Ming Dynasty, ribbed paper craftsmanship advanced further. Techniques evolved to employ denser silk threads for weaving the paper-making screens. This development also gave rise to new applications, such as integrating ribbed paper with woven paintings. According to the Tianshui Bingshan Lu, during the confiscation of Yan Song's estate in the Jiajing era, “paper-woven” artifacts were among the seized items, confirming the artistic value of Luowen paper at the time. Concurrently, Ming Dynasty Luowen paper was employed in printing ancient texts and creating paintings and calligraphy, appearing in works by several renowned artists.