Chewpaper
Chewed and spat, a humble little nightlight sat on a window sill. With a loop for a tiny finger and a well for a candle. A comforting trinket provided you forgot the material was tinder and only a stub of wax separated it from flame. Likely made by a parent to guide their child through the nocturnal season. Maybe chewed throughout the dusk, a season spent with the taste of rockwood glue sticking to the roof of their mouth.
Chewpaper is a traditional craft from Mercury made from rockwood bark. It is believed to be the oldest form of papermaking in the Sol System. As the name suggests, the bark is traditionally chewed into paper pulp, although modern chewpaper is usually produced by chemical or mechanical pulping. The pulp is easy to shape when wet, and retains its shape once it dries. The dried chewpaper is crisp to the touch. It is often treated with wax or oils to preserve it and prevent it from cracking. Chewpaper is extensively used in traditional Mercurian crafts, like lanterns, paper screens, paper sculptures, and more.
Traditional chewpaper is variegated, with soft waves of alternating colours. Usually it is grey or beige to brown, though occasionally other colouring is added as well. When the Mercurians first saw fine pictures of Jupiter, many called it the chewed planet, due to its resemblance to a chewpaper lantern.
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Chewpaper Lamp by Annie Stein
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This is a lovely idea and a great trip back memory lane for me. Thanks for this wonderful little article.
Thank you!
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