The chestnut root extract in the mash prevents the individual sheets from sticking to each other in a giant mass of papier-mache. The staff are happy to answer questions, and the process is as intimate and casual as it is professional. Gorgeous sheets produced in this manner are not your common notebook paper. They are exotic in a way that woven fabrics of museum quality can be. Fiber patterns may involve dramatic inclusions, like crushed rope, grasses, or even flowers.
Textures are deliberately varied for effect, and tinting is another special technique.
The limited definition that visitors walk in with has to grow enormously to take in the full potential of the medium. One of the oldest bits of paper in the world, made from herbs that repel insects, is displayed on the second floor. That, and a picture of Tsai Lun, comprise the Chinese portion of the museum. The focus is on handmade Taiwanese paper. I decided that this is Taiwan, and the rich tradition of paper crafting here should be our focus.