About the School: Hori-sensei's Dyeing Class 6

”I want students to come to like dyeing, and continue.”

This is a series that covers the classes of skilled dyeing expert Masaru Hori-sensei, and looks at the “something” we must value. In the final part of this series, we covered the dyeing process for making a kimono, which one of the second year students is working on. In the process of creating a weaving project, thread dyeing, which is done in the beginning, is the key part. It is no exaggeration to say that the finished piece is determined by the colors that are produced, and it is a great relief for students to be able to consult with an expert. To dye the silk thread needed to weave a kimono, students receive one-on-one guidance from Hori-sensei, starting from how to prepare the thread, how to handle it, test-dyeing, dyeing, to finishing.




This video is a scene from “scouring.“ This step is to remove contaminants attached to natural fibers, and in the case of raw silk, the purpose is to remove a paste-like component called sericin that covers the surface to reveal the original luster and texture of the silk.　The warp thread was scoured for about 40 to 50 minutes this day. Hori-sensei says that removing sericin slowly over time is "the trick to keeping the luster and moistness unique to silk," and first, demonstrates the movements. Hori-sensei handles the thread smoothly and quickly. Techniques to keep the thread from getting tangled can be observed at every turn, and the repetition of the movements create a good sense of timing and rhythm. However, this is difficult for inexperienced students, especially since silk thread is delicate and can get tangled easily, so handling it requires special attention.

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◆ Repeating “a bit more”

Dyeing is carried out in steps, from the warp, the weft, and the Kasuri thread. The day the warp Kasuri thread was to be dyed, the student brought over a thousand of them, holding them in her arms dearly. She had spent several weeks binding the thread, and was fully prepared for this day. It is rare that a student would dye this much Kasuri, and Hori-sensei says, “I am still learning.” Hori-sensei is an expert who has been teaching at the school for over 20 years, on top of his foundation of 42 years working as a dyeing craftsperson. Even so, he always starts by thinking from the same point of view as the student, and faces dyeing with fresh eyes.

While the work of binding Kasuri thread is steady and time-consuming, the actual dyeing is a one-shot game. The student had already discussed what kind of dye to use and how to dye the thread with Hori-sensei, and had pre-mordanted the thread prior to this day. "Natural dyeing is difficult because it's hard to get the color you want," Hori-sensei reminds her. The thread will be dyed purple, green, and yellow-green. When test-dyeing, the student used purple gromwell for purple, green leaf extract for green, and kariyasu for shifting that to yellow-green. However, in the actual dyeing, the green color does not appear, and unexpectedly turns out to be yellow-green from the beginning. Hori-sensei quickly suggests, "Let’s add indigo." Then, while adjusting the amount of dye and hot water, gives advice on how to match the color to what the student wants.

As the dyeing progresses, the thread is taken outside to have the color checked under the sunlight. Both Hori-sensei and the student’s expressions as they face the color are serious. “How is it?” “A bit more.” The student dyes again, and takes notes on what and how much dye is added. Discussions on color matching continue that way, the student repeating “a bit more,” again and again. The moment the tone of her voice went up, saying, “It became a good color, Sensei!” Hori-sensei, who checked the color, broke into a smile. Hori-sensei said, "Why don’t we dye it one last time." After finishing, the student said, "It became the color that I wanted," looking relieved. “It’s difficult to get the right balance when it’s really close. Sensei’s advice is very helpful then.”

◆ Learning dyeing broadly and deeply

In this series, we joined Hori-sensei’s dyeing class and looked for the "something important" from the way he taught. We have introduced an aspect of the school, where students can learn dyeing broadly and deeply, such as understanding why data samples are necessary, Kanzome, where perfect color matching is the starting point, basic movements to avoid tangling the yarn, and how to handle yarn.

"I can't stay that long (in terms of age), but I have to stay a little longer,” Hori-sensei calmly says, as there are many students who look up to him and seek advice. His fundamental wish is that students “come to like dyeing, and continue." I thought that the "important something" goes back to the simplicity of this wish. This was because it was unwavering, and showed in his attitude when interacting with students in all of his classes.

Hori-sensei will continue to walk closely alongside his students again next year.

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◆ From Hori-sensei

For over half a year since the first class in April 2021, my classes have been covered closely by one of the staff members of the school. Rather than the contents of the classes themselves, the main focus was “how I teach.” That was a theme beyond my control, which made me feel like a “carp on a cutting board,” to be covered just as I am. My words, actions, or interactions with students in class that I wasn’t aware of were captured in the articles, and I felt slightly embarrassed each time they were published. 

Through this series and the interview in 2020, I was able to look back on my long dyeing career once again. I am grateful to have had this opportunity at this stage in life in my eighties. Thank you to everyone both within and outside Japan for reading this series through the internet. Next year, I will be free from the pressure of being interviewed.

About the School: Hori-sensei's Dyeing Class 5

”Remembering the vibrant color”

This is a series that covers the classes of skilled dyeing expert Masaru Hori-sensei, and looks at the “something” we must value. We will be resuming the series which we have been publishing since last year. Part 5 is about indigo dyeing, which was the final dyeing class for the first year students, and about what the students came to see after finishing the classes.

We grow indigo at the school, and use them in workshops for fresh leaf dyeing and dry leaf dyeing. Some years, Hakko-date (fermented construction) has been a part of the second year students’ curriculum. The world of indigo is profound, but as an introduction to indigo dyeing, in the first year student’s dyeing class, we worked with Kagaku-date (synthetic construction) using synthetic indigo (Indigo Pure).

◆ Class is a place to “try it out”

At the beginning of the class, there was a lecture on the basics of indigo. Indigo dyeing can be done without ever using fire. Since indigo pigments do not dissolve in water as it is, they are temporarily dissolved in water (alkaline solution) through a process called reduction. Then, the fiber is dyed with a reduced (deoxygenated) liquid, and exposed to air to oxidize. It is difficult to understand the mechanism of how the color develops in indigo dyeing, just by listening. Class is a place to “try it out.”

For Kagaku-date (synthetic construction) used in this class, we first create a stock solution by adding an alkaline agent and a reducing agent to the dye. Next, we prepare a dyebath, and by adding the stock solution, adjust it to the desired concentration (darkness). Hori-sensei shows a slightly greenish yellow liquid and tells everyone, "This is a vibrant color. Let’s remember this." It means that the indigo is in a condition that “dyes neatly and settles well." Then, the yarn is soaked in the dyebath, and rotated gently, avoiding letting in air as much as possible. "With indigo dyeing, the color doesn’t get darker by soaking it longer, so keep it short (2-3 minutes). If you want to make it darker, repeat soaking, wringing, and oxidizing.” Hori-sensei says.

As it comes into contact with air, the yarn raised from the dyebath changes from yellow to green to blue. The students leaned forward so that they wouldn't miss the instantaneous changes. After that, they tried itajime and shibori, designing their fabric under the guidance of Hori-sensei. In this class, students learned a completely different type of dyeing from the dyeing methods they had learned so far.

◆Dyeing was “exciting”

Indigo dyeing was the last of Hori-sensei's dyeing classes for the first year students. Students learned various techniques, starting with creating dyeing data, Kanzome, handling yarn, and natural dyeing. After finishing all of the classes, they shared how they felt.

About the synthetic dye data sample making class, one student said, "I felt safe having the samples. When I learned how to dye at university, I felt nervous about dyeing because I didn't have samples, but here, I was able to work with confidence." About the Kanzome class, another student said, "I was able to learn the basics of color, which is to create colors from the three primary colors. I learned from seeing the changes in the color happening in front of my eyes." In the class linked to weaving, a student said, "When we were dyeing to create the color we wanted, Hori-sensei would think from the same perspective as us, the students. That was why we were able to persist until we were satisfied with the result." A student who learned dyeing for the first time at the school smiled and said, "I am confident that I too can do it, because even though I didn’t know anything, I was taught properly from the start.”

What all the students said was that it was "exciting" to dye. A thought came to mind, after seeing them speak so enthusiastically about learning to dye, even after the classes came to an end. Hori-sensei may have sown seeds of excitement in the students’ hearts. I hope that each student who has encountered dyeing through Hori-sensei’s class, and experienced the joy of it, will be able to nurture the joy of dyeing with their own hands from here on.

Continued to part 6 (final).