This document discusses the history of paper marbling in East Asia. It describes a reference from 986 CE that mentions a type of decorative paper from Sichuan, China called "drifting-sand paper" which was created by dragging paper through fermented flour paste mixed with colors. Another method used honey locust pods mixed with croton oil and water. Ginger was used to disperse the colors. The finished patterns resembled figures, clouds, or birds. Suminagashi, meaning "floating ink" in Japanese, originated even earlier with references from the 9th century. Various theories exist for its origins, such as ink divination or dispersing ink in water for amusement. According to legend, a man