Bible Encyclopedias
Rice Paper

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Search for…

Enter query below:

or

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
Rice

Next Entry
Rich Hill

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

The substance which has received this name in Europe, through the mistaken notion that it is made from rice, consists of the pith of a small tree, Aralia papyrifera, which grows in the swampy forests of Formosa. The cylindrical core of pith is rolled on a hard flat surface against a knife, by which it is cut into thin sheets of a fine ivory-like texture. Dyed in various colours, rice paper is extensively used for the preparation of artificial flowers, while the white sheets are employed by native artists for water-colour drawings.