I find it fascinating to watch people work. Even folks doing roughly the same work often come up with innovative processes and tools to complete their tasks! Watching someone else work can foster new ideas and improvements that can benefit everyone. Over the next several months we will visit several dye artist studios, via the magic of YouTube, to check out their workshops, see how artisans carry out their tasks, and learn some of their dye secrets.
Our first visit is to Japanese dye artist, Sachio Yoshioka, in the video "In Search of Forgotten Colours". Yoshioka is a fifth generation dyer from Kyoto. In 1988 he took over the family business and switched from synthetic dyeing to dyeing with plants and other natural material. The video was produced by NHK Enterprises, Inc. and Art True Film, and published on the Victoria and Albert Museum website on June 6, 2018 as part of an exhibition. The film is a compilation of four documentary segments.
A couple of items especially caught my interest. One was learning about the dye extraction processes used for three plants:
My Example
Kariyasu (3:13) – the stems are steeped in water to produce a pale yellow dye for fabric.
Beni Red (5:26) – the safflower flower petals are harvested in summer and dried, and then processed in mid-winter when the well water is at its coldest. The processing is long and complicated. An alkali made from straw ash is used to release the red colorant, followed by adding vinegar. Strips of linen soak up the colorant, and the strips are added to another alkali bath. An extract of a dried plum causes the colorant to precipitate onto a piece of silk. Finally the colorant gains the consistency of fine mud, is diluted with water, and then painted onto paper for use in ceremonies.
Murasaki Purple, or Purple Gromwell (13:30) – the roots are harvested and processed to produce an intense purple dye for fabric. Yoshioka researched ancient texts, including the Engishiki (or "Procedures of the Engi Era", 927), to learn how to achieve the dye. The plant is an endangered species, so Yoshioka works with farmers in Taketa to revive its cultivation.
The chemistry and complexity of some of these processes must have taken centuries to develop and perfect. Imagine the trial and error required to discover and refine the processes used to produce such beautiful results!
The other especially interesting item was seeing Yoshioka's workshop, situated in the green outskirts of Fushimi, southern Kyoto, with its source of local well water and all its equipment. Part of the workshop is outdoors for great ventilation, but covered for shelter. Gas burners provide a heat source. The artisans use a variety of plastic and stainless steel tubs and containers, as well as specialized vats for extracting dyes, and dyeing and rinsing fabric. Some vats include run off valves to release dye by-products.
I loved seeing the tools used to macerate plant material in preparation for extraction, including the large stone mortar and massive wooden mallet wielded by Denji Fukuda, master dyer. It's also fascinating to see how much the artisans use their hands in some of the processes – breaking up plant dye source, stirring the dye pot, moving fabric through dye and water vats, hanging the fabric to air dry. And the colors produced using plant material are amazing!
I hope you enjoyed this peek into Yoshioka's atelier. I enjoy working in my outdoor patio studio, but seeing his workshop gives me some ideas for small-scale improvements!
Our first visit is to Japanese dye artist, Sachio Yoshioka, in the video "In Search of Forgotten Colours". Yoshioka is a fifth generation dyer from Kyoto. In 1988 he took over the family business and switched from synthetic dyeing to dyeing with plants and other natural material. The video was produced by NHK Enterprises, Inc. and Art True Film, and published on the Victoria and Albert Museum website on June 6, 2018 as part of an exhibition. The film is a compilation of four documentary segments.
A couple of items especially caught my interest. One was learning about the dye extraction processes used for three plants:
Color
|
Plant
|
Description
|
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Kariyasu (Miscanthus tinctorius) | Stems |
| Red | Beni Red (Carthamum tinctorius) | Petals |
| Violet | Murasaki Purple, or Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizam) |
Roots |
Kariyasu (3:13) – the stems are steeped in water to produce a pale yellow dye for fabric.
Beni Red (5:26) – the safflower flower petals are harvested in summer and dried, and then processed in mid-winter when the well water is at its coldest. The processing is long and complicated. An alkali made from straw ash is used to release the red colorant, followed by adding vinegar. Strips of linen soak up the colorant, and the strips are added to another alkali bath. An extract of a dried plum causes the colorant to precipitate onto a piece of silk. Finally the colorant gains the consistency of fine mud, is diluted with water, and then painted onto paper for use in ceremonies.
Murasaki Purple, or Purple Gromwell (13:30) – the roots are harvested and processed to produce an intense purple dye for fabric. Yoshioka researched ancient texts, including the Engishiki (or "Procedures of the Engi Era", 927), to learn how to achieve the dye. The plant is an endangered species, so Yoshioka works with farmers in Taketa to revive its cultivation.
The chemistry and complexity of some of these processes must have taken centuries to develop and perfect. Imagine the trial and error required to discover and refine the processes used to produce such beautiful results!
The other especially interesting item was seeing Yoshioka's workshop, situated in the green outskirts of Fushimi, southern Kyoto, with its source of local well water and all its equipment. Part of the workshop is outdoors for great ventilation, but covered for shelter. Gas burners provide a heat source. The artisans use a variety of plastic and stainless steel tubs and containers, as well as specialized vats for extracting dyes, and dyeing and rinsing fabric. Some vats include run off valves to release dye by-products.
I loved seeing the tools used to macerate plant material in preparation for extraction, including the large stone mortar and massive wooden mallet wielded by Denji Fukuda, master dyer. It's also fascinating to see how much the artisans use their hands in some of the processes – breaking up plant dye source, stirring the dye pot, moving fabric through dye and water vats, hanging the fabric to air dry. And the colors produced using plant material are amazing!
I hope you enjoyed this peek into Yoshioka's atelier. I enjoy working in my outdoor patio studio, but seeing his workshop gives me some ideas for small-scale improvements!
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