合羽摺りの合羽は、ポルトガル語の“Capa”から発生し、元来は「外套」即ち英語の「オーバーコート」と同義語で、ラシャや木綿の布地、桐油紙などで体形に合わせて作ったものを、雨の日に衣服の上から羽織るものという意味でした。
これとは別に、日本では版画の世界で合羽版という呼称が1746年（延享3年）に既に使われ始めています。数枚の薄い和紙を柿渋で塗り、張り合わせて仕上げた強靭な紙が合羽紙と呼ばれていました。この合羽紙に描画し、作品の最後の仕上げに墨色で輪郭をつけて摺る「骨線摺り」に多用された技法が合羽摺りというわけです。（合羽版は直接手で行うので「刷る」という用語ではなく「摺り」を用います。また合羽紙は柿渋で塗り固めて作られていることから、和染めでは一般的にこれを「渋紙」といいます。）
さて、森義利の技法を考えてみると、それは合羽版と型染版の併用というのが最も正しい呼称です。英語ではステンシル・プリント (Stencil Print) と訳されていますが、正確に言えばその工程に含まれる型置き (糊置き) や糊伏せの部分については表現されておらず、やはり合羽版と型染版の併用、ミックスド・メディア (Mixed Media)というのが正しいということになります。
一般に大別される版画の技法を、基本的な知識としてあげると

この外にセリグラフやシルク・スクリーンと呼ばれる謄写版の技法もあります。従来の謄写版技法を発展させたものとして、商業用のポスターや発注芸術の版画に非常にポピュラーな技法です。
以上の版画の形式の中でお気付きのように、森義利の技法は最後の項目である「孔版」ということになります。

・下絵の作成

彼には、常にスケッチブックと鉛筆は離さない、根っからの画家気質が生来そなわっていたようです。たとえばテレビのドラマを見て「平家物語」を仕上げてしまう場合など、単にその物語を視ているのではなく、彼は書棚から「平家物語」を出して熟読玩味し、系統的に自分なりの作品のシリーズを組み立てておいてテレビの前に坐る。場面のひとこま、ひとこまを瞬間的に把握していく時、彼の脳中には人物の配置、大道具、小道具、背景などが時代考証と共に去来し、鉛筆はスケッチブックの上に飛翔して、目の廻るような速度で走り廻るのです。
そして山積みされたデッサンの中から選び出されたものが版画の下絵として出現し、ある時は強い筆勢と大胆なフォルム、ある時は繊細なまでの描写にと変化していきます。それは墨一色から多彩色に至るまでの千変万化の世界となります。

・型紙の作成

これらの下絵は、文様化されたり、密度の高い単純化されたフォルムで彼独特の型式化をされ、型彫りに移ります。下絵を渋紙に蜜ろうで貼り、小さい刀で彫っていきます。
作品の色数によって型は数枚になります。型が彫り終わると、型紙の表面に寒冷紗を置いて漆で塗り固め「紗張り」をします。森の図柄は大体においてフォルムそのものがつながり形つくられていますが、ものによっては型そのものから離れてしまう形や線があり、それらをつなぐ必要からもこの薄く目の荒い寒冷紗が用いられます。従って、この「紗張り」は型紙を扱いやすくし、より堅牢にするためです。

・作品制作

まず「紗張り」された型紙を10分程度水に浸けます。水を含みしなやかな状態になったら水気を拭きとります。
和紙の上に大きなフォルムとしての型を置き、そのまわりに地紙の色を残すため「防染の糊置き」をします。その後型をはずし、糊が完全に乾いてから色差しに入りますが、それぞれの作品の仕上がりに従ってこの工程には数枚の型が必要となります。
色差しには多種多様な顔料が使われます。これらの顔料を摺り込んだ上から植物染料を引いたりすることで画面に独特の潤いを与え、絶妙ともいえる効果を出しているのは全く他の技法の追随を許さぬ彼の独壇場といえるでしょう。
作品の色差しが終われば、主型といわれる墨による骨線摺りで仕上げとなります。この主型は色彩の上を防染糊で覆い、型をはずして残された線描の部分に墨色を入れるという工程です。
最後に、摺り込まれた紙を水洗すれば防染糊が剥落し、作品が完成します。濡れたままのこの作品を板に貼って乾かし、限定番号とサインを入れます。
このように下絵―型紙―型置き(糊置き)―色差し―隈取り―骨線摺り―水元という順序は全く型染めの技法ですが、森義利の場合はこれとはまた別に型置きの時に糊置きをせず、型紙を直接紙の上に置いて色差しをする直接法の合羽摺りを、一つの作品の中に同時に行っている場合も多く、正確に言えば併用版ということになります。
彼自身の六十年のキャリヤから一種独特の色彩が誕生し、この色彩が日本人の血脈につながり、わが国の伝統の世界がこの版画の上に展開されているのです。

糊について

「糊」は餅米を石臼などで極く細かくなめらかに挽いたものと適量の米糠と塩を湯でねり込み、だんご状あるいはドーナツ状に仕上げ蒸し器で蒸す。その後、鉢に移し、棒状のもの（山椒の木などがよく使われる）にて練り上げる。これが基本の糊となり、必要に応じて、この糊と生糠、石灰（のりの切れをよくし定着させる）と混ぜ併せ、防染のりとして使用する。
現在は糊は製作工場などで作られ、販売されているので、各自が作ることはないようです。

文責：森アトリエ　森映子

“Kappa” of “Kappazuri” (literally means “raincoat printing”) is from Portuguese word “capa,” cape or robe in English. It means a tailored overcoat usually made by woolen clothes, cotton or oilpaper to be put on clothes on rainy days.

In Japan, the word of “Kappaban” (literally means “raincoat print”) has been used since 1746. There is a special paper called “Kappagami” (literally means “raincoat paper”) that is made from laminated sheets of handmade paper glued with persimmon tannin. It is very strong, flexible and water proof. Kappazuri is a technique frequently used in “Honesenzuri” (literally means “skelton print”), i.e., drawing a picture on Kappagami and finishing with hand-printed contour line using ink.

(Note) @ Kappaban is hand-print.
@ Because Kappagami is coated with persimmon tannin (Kakishibu), it is generally called “Shibugami” in Japanese dyeing.

Considering the technique of Mori Yoshitoshi, it can be said as a combination of Kappazuri and stencil dyeing. His technique is sometimes explained as “Stencil Print” in English; however, this word is not enough to express whole of his technique as it includes not only the process of printing but also that of dyeing such as Noribuse (reserve printing process). The feature of his technique is the mixed media of Kappazuri and stencil dyeing.

Major techniques of printmaking are as follows:

•  Relief Print
• The oldest technique of printing represented by woodblock print.
•  Intaglio printing
• To incise the surface of copper, zinc or linoleum with needle or engraving knife, and put ink in incised line or sunken area, and print.
•  Lithography
• It is a technique based on the principle that oil repels water. The typical one is lithograph. After an image is drawn with oily ink, pencil, chalk or crayon on the surface of a smooth limestone plate, the stone is treated with talc powder, then a mixture of acid and gum arabic. The surface of the stone is changed, and ink can be applied only on the drawn part, and the portions of the stone which is not protected by the grease-based image absorbs water and repels ink. Recently, large-sized artwork is made using zinc plate or aluminum plate instead of limestone.
•  Stencil
• It is a technique to cut out paper, and apply pigment through that cut-out holes.

Other than them, there is a technique of mimeograph called serigraph, silkscreen printing, etc. It is developed from the traditional mimeograph technique, and frequently used for the production of commercial posters or order arts

As you can see, technique of Mori Yoshitoshi can be classified into the last one; Stencil.

Draft sketch

Mori Yoshitoshi was born to be an artist, and always carried his pencil and sketchbook. He was a well-prepared and concentrated person; for example, when he worked on the Tale of the Heike, he referred to the TV drama, “Heike Monogatari (the Tale of the Heike),” and before watching TV, he read the book, “the Tale of the Heike” so that he could get the image systematically. During watching TV, he made a lot of sketches at a giddy speed grabbing impressive scenes immediately. In his brain, positions of people, stage settings, stage properties, stage background, etc. were assembled with historical research, and a number of rough sketches were produced on paper.
One selected from those rough sketches is developed into a draft, and its arrangement is phantasmagoric; some are strong and with bold form, and some are delicate and fine; some are colorful and some are monochrome. His world is really protean.

Making of stencil

After patterning or formalization of draft by his own method with high-density and simplified form, a stencil is made. First, the completed draft is attached on stencil paper, Shibugami, by beeswax, then curved with a small stencil knife.
It depends on the number of colors how many stencils are necessary. When the stencil is completed, Kanreisha (Victoria lawn) is put on it with japan lacquer. In most cases, he designed the draft as all the lines are connected; however, in some cases, some fine lines are disconnected, and may come apart. To prevent it, Victoria lawn is used. Victoria lawn is thin and loose-woven fabric, and reinforces the stencil and makes it easy to treat.

Production of artwork

 A stencil reinforced by Victoria lawn is immersed in water for about 10 minutes. When a stencil is wet and becomes flexible, excess water is wiped off.
 A stencil is put on Japanese paper (printing paper), and dye-resist starch is brushed on the outside area of the stencil. This process can reserve the original color of Japanese paper around the stencil. It is called “Bosen-no-norioki.” Then, the stencil is removed, and after starch is completely dried, color printing is started using stencils. In this process, one or more stencils are necessary according to the design and number of colors.
 Various pigments are used for coloring. Sometimes, he applied some plant dye over pigment to get special effect including moisture feeling. It is his unique technique, and no one can imitate it.
 After color printing is finishing process called “Honesenzuri.” Prior to the finishing, the stencil is put on color-printed paper, and entire print is covered with dye-resist starch. Then, the stencil is removed, and after the starch is dried out, everything is blackened with ink. This final process is called “Omogata.”
 When the ink is dried, dye-resist paste is washed off, and this process is called “Mizumoto.” Washed paper is put on a board to dry, and this process is called “Mizubari.” Finally, it is signed, numbered and completed.

As shown above, the process of “draft sketch→stencil→Bosen-no-norioki→color-printing→Kumadori (gradation)→Honesenzuri→Mizumoto” is nothing but a technique of stencil dyeing. Mori Yoshitoshi sometimes skipped Bosen-no-norioki,, and put stencil on paper directly for color printing. It is called direct Kappazuri, and he often mixed up both techniques in one masterpiece. He used the combination of both techniques.

His carrier for more than 60 years created the unique tincture that is deeply connected with the bloodline of Japanese. It can be said that Japanese traditional world is developed on his masterpieces.

(Note) What is dye-resist starch (Bosen-nori)?
Basically, it is made from sticky rice. Sticky rice is ground by millstone until it becomes fine powder. Then, it is mixed with rice bran and hot water, and kneaded well. After shaping it as small dumplings or donut, it is steamed, and then kneaded in a bowl with pestle.
To make dye-resist starch, lime is mixed in it. Lime has an effect to make dye-resist starch to be sharp and easy to be fixed.
Today dye-resist starch is manufactured, and you can buy it. So you don’t need to make it by yourself.

Responsibility for the contents of an article : Mori Eiko(Mori Atelier)