YAMAZAKI (Akira).
Nihon kuzakizome fu [Japanese plant dyeing manual] / Monograph of Plant-Dyeing Peculiar to Japan
Vibrant colours extracted from plants
A book showcasing the remarkable range of colour dyes that can be extracted from plants native to Japan.
The history of kusaki-zome ‘plant and tree dyes’ in Japanese textiles dates back over a thousand years. Before the Meiji period, when chemical dyes became available in Japan, textile craftspeople used natural dyes. The cultivation and treatment of these plants – in some cases fermentation – is highly skilled work which is also very labour intensive. Few companies continue to do this today.
The present book wonderfully explains how each plant becomes a colour dye, with sample silk threads to show the colour that can be achieved. Owing to the nature of books, the samples are very vibrant as they have not been exposed to much light. The text and photographic images have been printed onto high quality, hand-made Japanese paper.
Scarce in commerce.
