Throughout ancient history and the days of the early emperors, the art of indigo dyeing (aizome) has been practised in Japan. Only the upper classes were allowed to wear clothes with bright and elaborate colours. With its proposed dirt repelling and antimicrobial qualities, common people and everyday Japanese workers adopted the use of deep blue indigo as the basis for colouring their clothing. The use of indigo, and the magic of Shibori is still entrenched in Japanese fashion and crafts today. Aoi Umi™ (which means blue ocean) is a 100% natural indigo powder derived from the botanical Persicaria tinctoria. The indigo itself is made following a traditional process of drying mature leaves, and fermentation steps. Indigo is a wonderful, colourful dye yielding everything from pale blue through to navy and dark blues depending on the number of dips required. It is perfect for all fibres including cotton, bamboo, hemp, silk and wool. It is also the basis for the art of the manual resist dyeing technique otherwise known as Shibori.
We are delighted to bring this superb quality indigo into our store.
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