Rubbing cloth - Susa

Japanese: 苆 - すさ

A general term for fibrous materials mixed into plastering materials, the main purpose of which is to prevent cracks that tend to occur in plastered walls, and also to ensure the ease of use required for troweling. The history of using straw is extremely old, and it is written in Exodus 5:7 and 5:12 of the Old Testament that wheat straw is mixed into the production of sun-dried bricks. Since then, this material has always been used where plastering work is carried out, both in the East and the West, but in Japan, it is particularly well-known for its excellent usage and there are many types.

[Yamada Koichi]

Straw

It is used for wall plaster and can be broadly divided into four types: cut straw (for rough wall plaster; rice straw cut to lengths of 3-9 centimeters), middle coating straw (for middle coating plaster; also known as kneaded straw; old ropes etc. cut to lengths of around 2 centimeters and kneaded well), cut-back straw (for cut-back plaster; also known as kneaded straw cut-back; middle coating straw cut to lengths of around 1 centimeter), and minced straw (mainly for kneading earthen sand walls with water; straw is pounded well, cut to lengths of around 3 millimeters, the nodes removed, and soaked in water to remove the bitterness). In all cases, it is considered better to use straw that has been harvested a considerable amount of time ago than new straw.

[Yamada Koichi]

Hemp

It is used for Otsu walls, plaster (except for polished finishes), and dolomite plaster, and is also called o-cho. There are various types, such as Hama-cho (Japanese hemp; so named because it is made from cut ropes from ship equipment), Manila-cho (made from old Manila hemp products), Saltpeter-cho (jute; so named because it is made from old bags used when Chilean saltpeter was imported), and Yu-cho (made from bags used to squeeze rapeseed oil). All of these are unbleached for the undercoat and middle coat, while bleached ones are used for the top coat. Bleached ones are called Sarashi-cho.

[Yamada Koichi]

Paper

It is used for Otsu walls, polished lacquer finishes, and Parari walls, a type of lacquer coating (a white top coat used on the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Katsura Imperial Villa, etc. While regular lacquer is pressed with a trowel to create a smooth finish, this finish leaves the surface rough and mottled). High-quality Japanese paper is soaked in water and beaten well to loosen the fibers before use.

[Yamada Koichi]

Inorganic Fiber

Glass fiber, needle-shaped iron wire, etc. A new product, mainly used in cement mortar.

[Yamada Koichi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

左官材料に混入される繊維状材料の総称で、塗り壁に発生しやすいひび割れの抑止を主目的とし、あわせて鏝(こて)塗り作業に必要な施工性を確保しようとするものである。苆使用の歴史はきわめて古く、『旧約聖書』「出エジプト記」5・7、5・12などでは、日干しれんがの作製に麦稈(ばっかん)を混入することが記されている。以来、洋の東西を問わず左官工事のあるところではかならずこの材料を使用しているが、とくに日本ではその使用法に優れ、種類も多い。

［山田幸一］

藁苆

壁土に対し使用するもので、切り藁(わら)（荒壁土用。稲藁を長さ3～9センチメートルに切断したもの）、中塗り苆（中塗り土用。もみ苆ともいう。古縄などを2センチメートル内外に切ってよくもみほぐしたもの）、切返し苆（切返し土用。もみ苆切返しともいう。中塗り苆を1センチメートル内外に切ったもの）、みじん苆（主として土物砂壁水ごね用。藁をよく打ち、3ミリメートル程度に切り、節を除き、水にさらしてあく抜きしたもの）の4種に大別される。いずれも藁は新しいものより、刈り入れてから相当年月を経過したものがよいとされている。

［山田幸一］

麻苆

大津壁、漆食(しっくい)（いずれも磨き仕上げを除く）、ドロマイトプラスターに使用するもので、苧(お)苆ともいう。浜苆（日本麻。船具のロープなどを切断してつくるのでこの名がある）、マニラ苆（マニラ麻製品の古物からつくる）、硝石苆（黄麻。チリ硝石を輸入したときの袋の古物からつくったのでこの名がある）、油苆（菜種油を搾った袋からつくる）などの種類があり、いずれも未晒(みさら)しのものは下・中塗り用に、漂白したものは上塗りに用いる。漂白したものは晒(さら)し苆とよばれる。

［山田幸一］