The Papyrus

Papyrus is an early form of paper produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt. Papyrus usually grows 2-3 meters (5-9 feet) tall, although some have reached as high as 5 meters (15 feet).

Papyrus is first known to have been used in ancient Egypt (at least as far back as the First dynasty), but it was also widely used throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as inland parts of Europe and south-west Asia.
The Cyperus papyrus plant grows in the Nile's fresh water. It has long roots and stems and the ancient Egyptians used it in building ships and making papyrus paper.
The outer bark of the papyrus plant is removed and the inner pith sliced into thin strips, which are subsequently hammered to break the fibres and drain the water. They are then re-immersed into ordinary water for 3 days until the fibres become flexible and transparent.
The papyrus strips are then cut to the required length and placed on a piece of cotton, each at a slight overlap making two layers, one horizontal and the other vertical.

The papyrus sheets are put between two pieces of cardboard and placed under a hand press until dry. The cardboard is changed every 8 hours and the drying process takes about 3 days.

Finally, the papyrus sheets are ready for painting and are given to qualified artists. The mediums used are inks, oils and gouaches, although it is also possible to write, typewrite and draw on papyrus.

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