The first year students' dyeing classes by Hori-sensei are finally nearing the end. Now, the natural dyeing classes have started after students have learned a wide range of dyeing techniques, gotten used to handling yarn and the basics of dyeing. In the class, students dyed and made samples using commercially available plant dyes, and plants that grow around the school. Students dye natural fibers such as wool, silk, and cotton, using various types of plants, with mordants such as aluminum, copper, and iron. By cataloguing the dyed yarn samples and separating them according to the type of yarn, mordant, and plant, the difference in the colors can be seen at a glance. The importance of organizing samples in this way also applies to the previous synthetic dyeing class.
Hori-sensei carefully explains the setup for the class. “There are more steps in natural dyeing compared to synthetic dyeing, such as brewing, pre-treating, mordanting, dyeing, and cooling. You have to run things well, or else, time will just pass. The setup is key to proceed efficiently, such as mordanting and pre-treating while brewing.”
One of the things Hori-sensei keeps in mind with natural dyeing is the proportion of the dye and the mordant. Mordants, that help develop the color and stop the color from fading, is something that is necessary for most plant dyes (except for some). Not enough dye and too much mordant will harm the yarn. On the other hand, too much dye and not enough mordant will cause discoloration. “It's important to adjust to a proportion that is just right for the yarn to absorb all of the mordant and for the color to develop,” Hori-sensei says, and teaches what he thinks is the best proportion from his many years of experience. There are some people who are concerned about the environment by using mordanting agents, but he says another reason for adjusting to the best proportion is so that the mordant does not remain in the residual liquid after dyeing. He says that it takes experience to be able to look at the residual liquid and determine if the yarn has fully absorbed the mordant.
“In natural dyeing, nothing is a mistake. It reflects the thoughts of the dyer, such as those who want to reduce the amount of mordant, or those who want to avoid discoloration. Because the amount of mordant changes the color, there are artists who prefer to use less to create their own unique color, and I think that is perfectly fine as well,” Hori-sensei says calmly.
The big difference from synthetic dyeing is the degree of attention to color reproducibility. "In natural dyeing, there are as many colors as there are people. There is a basic process, but the color can be changed depending on how you dye, and the resulting color is unique to the person who dyed it." The premise is different from synthetic dyeing, where one produces the desired color accurately, based on the data.
According to Hori-sensei, in Japan, synthetic dyes began to be used in earnest in the middle of the Meiji era (1868-1912), which means that until then, natural dyes were used. There were times in class when he would share his knowledge good-naturedly, saying, "When you visit the Kawashima Textile Museum (on the premises next to the school), it's interesting to see the items on exhibit from that perspective." The students in the class shared their impressions. “As I dyed, I thought about the history of natural dyeing.” “I started to look at the trees and flowers around me, thinking if they could be used for dyeing.” “Plants change each season, and even with the same plants, the colors change with mordants as well. Natural dyeing is so interesting.”
You can tell that Hori-sensei’s class is designed so that through the series of training, students can develop a wider perspective on dyeing itself. Rather than stating the individual merits and demerits of synthetic and natural dyeing, students’ ranges are broadened by him showing them, “there is this way,” within dyeing as a whole. What stood out is that all the classes are conducted so that the students can learn smoothly and openly. This became another class that motivated the students to think, “I want to study more!”
Continued to part 5.
