In Search of Forgotten Colours
These lengths of silk are dyed with colours derived from plants.
Many different colours and hues can be obtained using only plant matter.
The textiles were dyed in Kyoto.
Knowledge of how vegetable colours were made and used has largely disappeared.
The recreation of these 8th-century costumes was the result of extensive historical research.
The genius behind the project was Sachio Yoshioka.
Sachio Yoshioka.
Fushimi, Southern Kyoto.
Somenotsukasa Yoshioka dye workshop.
When Mr Yoshioka took over the family business in 1988, he stopped using synthetic colours
in favour of dyeing solely with natural materials.
“The colours you can obtain from plants are so beautiful.
This is the one and only reason I do what I do.”
Kariyasu (miscanthus tinctorius) yellow.
In the past all dyes were made from plants and other natural materials.
Dyes from plants can be made from bark, berries, flowers, leaves and roots.
Wearing layered colours was a notable feature of historical Japanese dress culture.
Vegetable dyes fell out of use after the invention of synthetic colours in the mid-19th century
Mr Yoshioka uses historical textile samples and documents in his quest to revive forgotten
dyeing techniques
He has devoted 30 full years of his like to the art of dyeing with plants
Beni Red (safflower; carthamus tinctorius)