Amate Paper from Mexico: Solid/Lace
This gorgeous paper comes to us from a Mexico, where skilled artisans have been producing amate paper for centuries. The culture of amate paper dates back to pre-Columbian Meso-American times.
Amate paper looks amazing if you simply frame a sheet as ready made artwork. Also terrific for bookmaking arts, collage, multimedia artwork, paper sculpture, lampshades, and more. Amate is naturally acid free!
The different shades of amate come from different trees that are used to obtain the bark: the bark of amate “wild fig” tree, xalama, jonote, and mulberry trees. The bark is dyed different colors but the lighter bark is not bleached- it is naturally pale and almost white!
This pattern is called solid/lace because it starts with a solid sheet of amate paper, with contrasting strands of bark scattered over the top to give a random and lacy effect!