Indigo Japanaise
Persicaria Tinctoria
Textile Properties
Fabric
- Best results on washed natural fibres
Pretreatment
- Mordanting is optional
Dye
- Fresh indigo leaves can be mashed/blended with ice and salt to achieve teal blue-green shades
- Vat dyeing with indigo pigment extraction yields deeper colours
Background
- Unlike the name would suggest it is not indigenous to Japan, but first originated southern China and Vietnam
- In the 18th-19th century the global indigo trade relied heavily on the agricultural knowledge and processing skills of enslaved West Africans who had centuries of traditional experience with indigo cultivation. The Yoruba communities of Nigeria and the Mandinka communities of Mali are particularly well known for their expertise.
Qualities
- Annual (in Montreal, Zone 5b)
- Propagates well from clippings
- Antibacterial and UV protective qualities. Contains compounds like indirubin and tryptanthrin that reduce inflammation, helping with conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.