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Date : 2006.4
Location : Kyoto
We were looking for a dyer, who can dye with really traditional dyeing
technique and dyestuffs. We seemed not to have have any candidates, but
suddenly I reminded a person, whom I came to know about 8 years ago. Mt.
Yasuhiro Takahashi exhibited his works at an exhibition at Daimaru department
store, when I was a sales promotion manager at that store. I remember his
elegant works and his lecture about natural dyeing. 'Takahashi san must
be the dyer we are looking for!'
We called him after long time absence, and asked him to dye something to our customers with his traditional technique. He said OK willingly!
We visited his workshop and asked him to make special shawls to our customers.
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Mr. Yasuhiro Takahashi has been a dyer nearly 40 years and from ten years
ago, he is doing a project of restoring and re-creating of dyed fabrics
from Edo period and he is one of the most famous expert of recent dyeing
field in Japan. He looks like a big bear but he is a very quiet man- I
noticed his finger tips are all dyed also which can tell his work.I knew
him from ten years ago and I felt so honored to meet him again - this time
I could meet him to work together. I was too happy and bombard him with
questions! (Thank you very much Takahashi san)
Generally, it is considered that chemical dye stuffs were used after Meiji period(1868-1912), but actually it began in the end of Edo Period( 1603-1867). The colors which did not exist were done by chemical stuffs, so it may sound strange but supreme items of that era often has chemical dye stuffs ( because the chemical dye stuff was very expensive at that time. ) It reminded me of Shobo banten(Fireman's jacket ) from Edo period, which had very strong purple color in it. At ending Edo period, vivid and clear chemical colors had to be more fresh for people, who only knew natural dyeing.
Takahashi san said dye stuff have been basically the same going back to
the time of Nara period(Nara period 714-784). Dating the things from that
era is quite difficult by seeing the dye stuff or colors. Instead the dyestuff,
designs and the fabric can be a better clue for dating. Regarding dye stuffs,
they can be divide into two different types. Just as Yuzen technique, painting
dark colors with brush( 'fude' ), or just as Ai dyeing, soaking into dyestuff
( to get enough dark color, dyer must soak more than several times.)
The former dyeing(Yuzen) is invented by Miyazaki Yuzensai in early Edo. According to this technique, all colors are said to be made with four basic dyestuffs.
* red - 'nama enji'(cochineal insect )
* yellow- 'syou'( tree sap )
* blue- 'airou' ( indigo )
* black-'sumi' ( Japanese ink )
The shading of three primary colors seemed to have produced all colors.
To fix the colors, `gojiru'(juice made by grating soya bean )is added.
Takahashi san showed me a part of his collection from Edo period. How soft
and genteel colors they are! I was fascinated by the coloration. They are
not dusky ( I thought natural dye stuff would not be so bright).
He also showed me the dye stuff for soaking. 'Akane'(root of tree, red
color), 'kariyasu' (plant, yellow), 'benibana'(flower red), and other plants
as 'suo', 'ukon', 'yamamomo', 'binrouji' and more.
About half of these dye materials need catalyser to help the coloration. After Meiji period, chemical materials have been used but before that, `ash' was used. He said the effect differs according to the trees used to make ash. He is researching ash and by now only certain kinds of trees could work as a catalyser( the trees such as peony, hisakaki, sazanka, ocha, sawarutagi).
In olden times there was an occupation `haiya'(ash seller) who makes ash
to sell to dyers, ( and actually they were said to be very rich). Mr. Takahashi
was very interested in making ash and he was planning to stay in the mountains
to make ash from trees he can obtain, and sell in an event at a fair.
Ashes('hai') are used to refine silk thread, as a glaze of pottery also, and I feel it is a very unique blessing from nature. He showed me one of his work- supreme woven fabric(tsumugi) called Ushikubi tsumugi dyed with genteel pink color. It had butterfly and flower motif with such subtle colors dyed with Yuzen technique(Itome Yuzen). He made it as a shawl and I fell in love at a first sight. The silk thread is Japanese silk and Ushikubi tsumugi is a finest kind of tsumugi(woven fabric), and it is dyed with the same dyestuffs from Edo period , using the same technique of Edo period.
In the modern world , Edo yuzen work come back on this shawl!
We asked him to make same type shawls for our customers. We discussed colors
and designs to make these new products, and ---
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I often go Kyoto. However, I always walk streets without paying special attentions to the street. However, when I visited Takahashi san's work shop, I noticed there are many dyers or weavers near his work shop.
Kanji sign reads 'Komori Dyeing'.
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There also is a sign of dyer! I found more than 10 dyer's sign near his
house.
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Takahashi san's smile! Very gentle man!
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He showed me some natural dyestuffs, which were used in Edo Period( 1603-1867).
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---he is dyeing shawl with same technique of Edo Period( 1603-1867)
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