Xuan or Shuen paper is traditional Chinese rice paper. It is fine quality smooth surfaced paper which has just the right properties for calligraphy and chinese brushwork. As with most papers of this variety there is a great deal of show-through, andso it is only used for one-sided work. When bound into books such papers follow a complete reversal of the codex system, with the folios having their folded edge on the outside of the page. The ~ otherwise open ~ edges of the folios are stab-bound by traditional Oriental methods.