Oiled paper: Miniature Japanese umbrella
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Japanese oiled umbrellas (bangasa) Iook rather delicate but in fact they are thoroughly efficient and they have the advantage, not found in a Western umbrella, of being semi-translucent. In the manufacture of bangasa ,oiled paper is applied in sections to ribs of split bamboo; the spokes are joined to a hollow bamboo ring which slides up and down a bamboo handle.The oldest references to bangasa date from the 8th century. Western umbrellas (which, when first introduced to Japan were called komorigasa-fiying bat umbrellas) are found everywhere in Japan today, but bangasa are still appreciated for their harmony with Japanese surroundings and attractive colouring.
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