The creation process of Kaga-mon

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There were specific artisans who took control of the process in creating the Kaga-mon (decorated family crest). These artisans carried a book of various samples which they drew themselves and they would show this to the customer and conceive of an original design based on the tastes of the customer. It was for that reason that basically no two designs were ever the same.

The creation process:

1.	The artisan would draw a rough sketch based on the customer’s request and decide on a pattern.
2.	Based on this rough sketch, the artisan would begin to carve the contours of this pattern and the family crest.
3.	Noriokiya would mask the pattern by dyeing the paste using stencil paper.
4.	The dyer washes off with water the applied ground coloured dye, removes the paste and then outlines the family crest.
5.	Once again, the artisan roughly sketches the design of the family crest in a blue pattern on a white background.
6.	he noriokiya carefully squeezes out the paste and draws the outline of the design.
7.	The yuzen artist using various paint brushes applies the colour.
8.	Steam is applied, washed with water and all paste residue removed.
9.	It is returned to the artisan where the family crest is then inserted.

In addition, there remains a ‘katagami’ stencil paper from the Kyouhou are (1716~1736) used in the design of Kaga-mon and from this it was verified that colours were first applied to the crest, colours were masked using paste and then the ground colour was dyed.