-
Ai-
(Also "
tadeai")
English Definition:
Japanese Indigo Dye
"
Ai" is an extremely fast, deep blue dye obtained from the "
tadeai"
plant in Japan. The use of "
ai" dates back to the 7th century
A.D. when it was used chiefly by the aristocracy. With the the advent
of vat dyeing ("
tatezome"),
ai became accessible to
common people. The earliest method of indigo dyeing in Japan was known
as "
namahazome," which means "raw leaf dyeing." With
namahazome,
fresh
tadeai leaves are used, whereas with vat dyeing, the leaves
are fermented into the liquid "
sukumo." Synthetic indigo has
been introduced into Japan and has mostly crushed the traditional, natural
process of indigo-dyeing.
Note: "
Ai" relates to the crafts,
Somemono,
the process of dyeing textiles such as silk and cotton with natural dyes
such as indigo;
Yukata, Japanese
summer cotton and silk kimonos, worn during Japanese summer festivals,
called "
matsuri;" and
Tategu,
Japanese home interior fixtures, such as
shoji screens, panels
and doors, as well as
fusuma sliding doors.