The Artistry of Izumo Indigo Itajime

11 3/4" x  8 14", 29.5 cm x 21 cm
Japanese text only
softcover
80 pages, fully illustrated in color

Itajime or kyokechi is a dyeing technique whereby cloth is clamped between carved boards and is then dyed.  The carved areas pressing together resist the dye, and repeat patterns are created.

Read more about this technique--and see some itajime boards--on our blog here.

This catalog, from the Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo details the process of itajime dyeing by showing step-by-step illustrations of the dyeing process, by showing lavish spreads of carved boards, and by referencing full color images of historical examples of this kind of cloth, some of it dating from the 7th and 8th century.

A marvelous resource for any serious library on Japanese textiles.