Nagoya Black Dyeing
Nagoya Black Dyeing
The work involves the dyeing of a family crest reversed out on pure white silk and the making of enough black cloth for a formal kimono. This means producing 16 meters for a winter kimono and 12 meters for a summer one. The dyeing itself is either done by piece dyeing the cloth, or by applying the dye with a brush. There are other methods of applying the dye but we will confine ourselves here to explaining the piece dyeing method, which is the most often used for Nagoya black dyeing.
Stage 1
Marking: Marks are place on the prepared cloth for the position of the family crests, which are usually located at the top of the back of the kimono, on the sleeves and neckband.
Stage 2
Stage 3
Crest Net: A fine brass net about five centimeters in diameter is sewn over the pattern on either side of the cloth, in order to prevent the shaped pattern from moving or coming off.
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Stage 4
Underdyeing: First, the cloth is immersed in water to wet the paper stencil and prevent it from absorbing the dye. Using either a dark red or indigo, the cloth is now underdyed in order to produce a really rich black, which is very slightly influenced by the underdyed color. It is a matter of taste as to which one is used but during the Edo period (1600-1868), a dark red was used for a woman's kimono, while indigo was used for a man's. The cloth is immersed in the dyestuff, which is at about 80°C to 90°C, for about ten to 15 minutes and is occasionally agitated to make sure the dye takes evenly.
Stage 5
Dyeing: The main dyeing is either done by simply piece dyeing the cloth, or by applying the dye with a brush. If it is going to be piece dyed, the underdyed cloth is immersed in the dyestuff, which is at about 90°C to 95°C, and contains enough black dyestuff to dye the number of bolts of cloth being dyed at one time. The cloth remains in the dye vat for 30 to 40 minutes and is occasionally agitated. The cloth would not normally be left in the dye for so long but this is one of the features of Nagoya black dyeing and produces a deep black, which does not fade with the passing years. The cloth is then immersed in water for 24 hours before the brass nets and paper stencils are removed. The cloth is then well washed and allowed to dry naturally.
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Stage 6
Crest Details: The details of the family crest are painted in where a shaped white space has been left on the cloth. A protractor, ruler and very fine brush are used to paint in the crest using a good quality black ink containing only a small amount of animal glue. Even if the cloth is washed the crest will not wash out. If the crest should become dirty it can easily be cleaned and the color will not fade.
