AIZOME
About "Aizome"
Indigo dye is a traditional technique.
Normally, leathers are dyed with acid dye in a drum by lot. On the other hand, for indigo dyeing of crocodile skins, we use natural dye stuff, and hand-dye them piece by piece. Indigo changes colors by exposure to the air—the longer it is exposed, the deeper the color grows. One time dying can only give a pale blue. By repeating the dyeing process, the color gets deeper.
In case of dyeing a piece of cloth or a bundle of thread, you can wring the water off, but you cannot do the same to a crocodile skin. This is a difficult part of indigo dyeing a crocodile skin, but after making so many researches and experiments we found a way to give a uniform color to each piece of skin.
It is said that there are 48 degrees of shades in indigo-dyed blue. The first dyeing gives only a very pale blue called “Ai-Nozoki.” After dyeing several more times the shade reaches a greenish blue like welsh onion called “Asagi-Iro.” After many more times of dyeing process, the shade becomes deeper blue called “Hanada.”
Further repeating of the process, the shade grows deeper (you might know it as Japan blue) called “Ai,” thereafter it develops into “Kon-Ai” bearing a purplish shade in deep blue. The deepest blue that indigo dye can reach is “Tome-Kon.”
We provide you with indigo dyed crocodile skins in following 3 degrees of blue.
1. Hanada
2. Ai
3. Kon-Ai
We work on each piece by hand and deliver it to you.
(Kindly understand that due to the nature of a work by hand that shade of blue may vary slightly depending on the season, temperature or humidity.)