Baren

Baren (馬連、馬楝)  listen  is a Japanese hand tool used in printmaking processes such as woodcut or lino cut.

The baren is a disk-like device with a flat bottom and a knotted handle. Paper is placed on an inked block and the baren is used to burnish (firmly rub) the back of a sheet of paper to pick up ink from a wood or linoleum cut.

Process

The ink is rolled on with a hand roller called a brayer, but can also be applied to the block using brushes following the methods used in Japan where the baren originated. As well, some people use soluble pencils to colour the block and then dampen it before making a print.

Construction

The disk inside the baren takes 40–50 days to create, as the craftsman glues one sheet of paper on the disk each day. The disk must then dry for a year's time before the baren is assembled. The baren is made of layers, the paper backing, a flat coil of woven rope covering it, then a bamboo leaf covering the whole, twisted in such a manner as to form the handle on the top. Coil and covering of the baren are woven and formed from parts of the bamboo plant, requiring the skill of a true master. Only one known person in Japan is still making traditional baren for a living.