More on Indigo Textiles

More on Indigo textiles #indigo #japan #textiles
Depending on what part of Japan your beloved yukata or kimono  came from

while Indigo is called AI the dye may have came from any of three different plants 

Polygonum tinctorium related to the Dyers knotweed once used in Europe or the Indigofera plant domesticated in India or down south in Okinnwa  Strobilanthus cusia the "chinese rain bell" also used in SE Asia.

     

While used on silk and later cotton the repeated rinsings and redyings when its used on ramie fibers softens the long fibers and makes it ideal for the kasuri technique related to Ikat.

expressing this and other loveliness ....

for those who missed the prior post here's a print that shows indigo dyes and how they ranged from blue grays to light blues and also demonstrates a variety of weaving and dyeing techniques.

How many can you spot?