There are four basic methods of dyeing paper: sakizome (dyeing ahead), tsukezome (dip dyeing), hakezome (brush dyeing), and sukikaeshi (dyeing and remaking). Each has its strengths and weaknesses. These are the essential techniques of dyeing paper as they have come down from the past and are still being practiced in Japan today. Sakizome (dyeing ahead) is the general term for dyeing fiber before processing it into a finished article—whether fabric, thread, or paper. In the case of paper, this involves dyeing the pulp before sheet forming. The famous Hyakumanto Darani (One Million Pagodas, commissioned by Empress Shotoku in 764) each contains a set of miniature sutras that are thought to have been dyed with kihada in this way. The dyeing process begins after the pulp has been prepared—i.e., cooked, rinsed, picked clean, and beaten. Residual chemicals in the pulp can affect the Somegami: Traditional Japanese Techniques for Making Naturally Dyed Papers tatiana ginsberg 32 - hand papermaking left: Five Poems by Lady Ise, from the Anthology of Thirty-Six Immortal Poets (Sanjurokunin shu or Sanjurokkasen), circa 1112. Detached book page mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, color, gold and silver on dyed-and-torn-paper collage; 20.1 x 15.9 cm (7 x 6 ¼ inches). Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Sylvan Barnet and William Burto, TL39357.76. Photo: Katya Kallsen © President and Fellows of Harvard College. right: Some of the most popular natural dyestuffs used in Japan, from left to right: ai (indigo), benibana (safflower), shikon (gromwell root), kariyasu (miscanthus grass), and yashabushi (black alder cones). 2004. All photos by and courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted. u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 􀀩􀀭 􀀩􀀮 coloring process, so it is best if the fiber is cooked in wood or soda ash (rather than caustic soda) and rinsed well. First the dye is extracted, usually by simmering dried dyestuffs in water, but sometimes it is first soaked in alcohol (as with tumeric) or vinegar (as with gromwell). Japanese dyers achieve rich yet clear colors by using a large quantity of dye and a small amount of mordant (fixative), but specific quantities vary depending on the particular dyestuff, its quality, and its freshness. Naturally soft or filtered water is best—iron and other minerals will affect the color considerably. After simmering for 20 to 30 minutes in a nonreactive pot, the dyer strains off the liquid, adds fresh water, and repeats the process for a second extraction. Most dyes will yield at least two, and often four or more useable extractions that may vary in tone. These are all mixed together to achieve a single, well-balanced hue, unless one of the extractions is considered undesirable. For example, the second extraction of madder, which tends toward orange, is sometimes discarded. The dyer also prepares a suitable mordant in a light solution. A mordant (from the Middle French mordre, to bite) is an agent that helps fix the dye to the pulp but also tends to alter the color. For example, white plum tree bark will yield pale pinks with an alum mordant or brownish purples with iron. Japanese dyers tend to use very safe mordants, avoiding chrome or other potentially harmful metals. They stick with proven, household materials such as alum, iron, cooking vinegar, and ash lye. As a general rule of thumb, the fiber is soaked in the mordant for the same amount of time it spent in the dye bath. Only a few dyes, such as kihada, will stain permanently without a mordant. The general dyeing procedure is as follows: After squeezing out the excess water, the prepared pulp is put into the dye bath, stirred periodically, and allowed to soak for a given period of time (anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight). The pulp is then drained and rinsed, placed into the mordant bath, and rinsed again before being put back in the dye bath. Deeper colors can be achieved by repeating this process over and over. To adjust the hue, the fiber can be overdyed with a different dyestuff. In this way a wide range of colors can be attained. During the two years I researched traditional paper dyeing techniques in Japan, I heard a lot of strong—and generally contradictory—opinions about dyeing paper pulp. One person would stress that the dye and mordant liquids must not be too hot or the sheets might pop off the drying boards later. Another would tell you to always use the hottest possible liquid for better color penetration. Most of these opinions were arrived at through empirical study, but some were based on the tradition in which the dyer was trained. While most fabric dyers believe that it is important to always finish with the dye bath, some of the papermakers I met finished their dye sequence in the mordant bath. I went to Japan thinking that papermakers were doing their own natural dyeing. But, just as historically papermaking and paper finishing were often performed by different people, only a few papermakers I met did natural dyeing themselves. Although they may work with chemical dyes, for natural ones many papermakers send their material—either pulp or finished sheets—to a professional dyer for coloring. This is often a very successful collaboration that draws on each studio's strengths. When I was studying at the dye studio of Yoshioka Sachio in Kyoto, a representative from Rengenji temple (in Hyogo prefecture) visited and discussed with Yoshioka the idea of using summer 2007 - 33 Dried lotus leaves, cut up and ready for extraction, in a large stainless steel pot. 2005. The author stirring kozo pulp in lotus dye at Yoshioka Sachio's dye studio in Kyoto. 2005. Fukuda Denji squeezing excess water out of dyed pulp. It will then be packed up and sent back to the papermaker for sheet forming. 2004. lotus leaves to dye paper. Rengenji is famous for its lotus blossoms, and the flower's strong association with Buddhism made it a natural suggestion. However no one knew exactly what color would result. Lotus-dyed (hasunohazome) paper is mentioned in the Shosoin monjo (record of treasures in the Shosoin Imperial Repository, in Nara, from 702),3 but the technique of making it had long since died out. Since Yoshioka's studio specializes in ancient dyes he was intrigued. After repeated tests, Yoshioka's dyemaster Fukuda Denji determined the best method of extracting color from the lotus leaves, and a surprisingly nice yellow color was achieved. Once samples were approved by the temple, papermakers at Sugiharagami in Hyogo prefecture prepared the kozo pulp and shipped it over to the dye studio in Kyoto. We then extracted the dye from the large quantity of lotus leaves that the temple had sent. We dyed the pulp as described above until we achieved the desired color. Finally, we squeezed the excess water out of the pulp and shipped it back to the papermakers, who made it into sheets. Nowadays, with efficient trucking methods it is possible for each specialist to work in his own studio and for their combined efforts to achieve excellent results. If they do any dyeing themselves, papermakers use the sakizome method. Well-known papermakers such as Fukunishi in Nara, Tange in Hyogo, and Kobayashi in Niigata, all dye paper pulp with natural dyes using their own variation on the basic sakizome method. The main advantage of this method is the relative ease of making a lot of pulp of exactly the same color. Gampi and mitsumata especially take dye well. However, the color does tend to become washed out during the sheet-forming process. It can also be hard to expose all of the fiber evenly to the dye. Pulp has a tendency to clump in the dye bath, resulting in mottled colors. And, despite careful cleaning, bits of pulp can remain on the papermaking equipment and contaminate the next batch. For this reason many people may find it more desirable to use one of the atozome (after-dyeing) methods, either tsukezome or hakezome, for dyeing finished sheets. The basic technique of tsukezome or hitashizome (dip dyeing) is familiar to most of us from tie dyeing T-shirts or other home dyeing projects. But since most sheets of paper cannot withstand heat without turning back into pulp, some adjustments are needed. First the individual sheets are clipped between flat bamboo strips or other materials—wooden rulers or molding can work well. The paper, which should be at least a couple of inches narrower than the strips, is centered and clipped together with bulldog or binder clips. The spaces at the ends of the strips allow the sheets to be hung to dry on wooden or bamboo poles. The clamped top area will not be dyed and thus provides a dry edge that keeps the sheet strong and stable while wet. This edge is usually trimmed off later. The dye is prepared in the same manner as for sakizome, but here there is no question that the dye must be cooled before use. A vertical or horizontal tank is set up in which to soak the sheets without allowing the bamboo strips to become submerged. Each sheet is gently wet down with a hose and carefully placed in the dye bath so that the liquid reaches to an inch or so below the bamboo strips. More than one sheet can soak in the tank at a time, but they should be lowered in individually to prevent the 34 - hand papermaking Fukunishi Masayuki of Yoshino in Nara strains out hot, freshly extracted dye. 2004. In preparation for dyeing, sheets of kozo are clipped between strips of bamboo. The strips make it easier to handle the wet sheets and provide a way to hang them to dry. 2003. Sheets are wetted down gently with a hose before immersing in the dye bath at Yoshioka's studio. 2004. Five sheets of paper are dyed at once in a vertical tank on the left. On the right, another container with a mordant solution is ready for the next step. 2004. u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 Another versatile atozome method is hakezome or hikizome (brush dyeing). The set-up is the same as for tsukezome, with the sheets first being clipped between bamboo strips. The dye is also made in the same manner except that it is generally allowed to boil longer and is thus more concentrated. Working on top of a metal, glass, or other nonporous surface, the dyer brushes the sheets with dye, first on one side, then on the other, and hangs the sheets to dry. Using a wide, soft brush (sheep hair is good), the work is done quickly. The main drawback to brush dyeing is that it can be hard to avoid visible brush marks. Constant attention and continuous, even strokes help. Sometimes soymilk or the extract of funori (a seaweed) is added to the dye to help reduce streaking as well as to strengthen the paper. After the sheets are dry, they are brushed with a light solution of mordant (to which funori may also be added), allowed to dry, and dyed again. As with tsukezome, this cycle can be repeated as desired, and may even span several days, though some papers may eventually start to pill. With repeated applications it is possible to achieve very deep shades. This method is usually best for dark colors, since the multiple applications help to even out brush marks. Very light colors may look uneven with hakezome and are generally better achieved with tsukezome. Brush dyeing is also one of the best ways of coloring paper with pigments. Sometimes pigments are extracted from dyes by causing the heavy particles to precipitate, usually by adding a mordant directly to the dye. The resulting colors can be rich, beautiful, and permanent. The incredibly deep ai (indigo) blue or shikon (gromwell) purple sutras we see from the twelfth century are colored with pigments extracted from dyes. This is also the way some of the colors used in ukiyo-e prints were derived, including the same luscious safflower red that was used by geisha as lipstick. Yoshioka's workshop prepares safflower red summer 2007 - 35 paper from sticking together. If the sheets are very light, it may help to use tiny bulldog clips as weights on their bottom edges. Older sheets of paper accept dye better than fresh sheets. Soaking times can vary from 3 to 30 minutes. The sheets are then rinsed gently, and placed in a mordant bath, which is set up the same way as the dye bath. As with sakizome, the sheets should be left in the mordant bath for the same amount of time as they sat in the dye bath. The sheets are then rinsed gently with a hose and put back in the dye bath. The process is repeated as often as necessary until the desired color is achieved. The dyeing can be stopped and then started again another day, but the process should always begin and end in the dye bath, and the dye should be freshly prepared each day. To achieve deep colors it is often considered best to let the fiber rest at least overnight between dyeings. This also improves the color fastness. The main disadvantage of this method is that it is difficult to dye a large number of sheets the same color. It takes nearly as long to dye a few sheets by this method as it does to dye a whole batch of fiber by sakizome. The dye bath will become progressively weaker. It can be tricky to judge how much tinting strength is still left in the dye. Also, in some cases the color may end up being slightly deeper at the bottom of the sheet than at the top. And, the dyer must handle the wet sheets very gently, especially with repeated soakings, to prevent tearing or folding. However, there are some definite advantages to tsukezome, especially if you do not want to commit to a whole vat of a single color. It is great for dyes like indigo, which do not require long soaking times. By varying the time in the dye bath, or overdyeing the sheets with a second color, an almost limitless range of shades are possible. Also, clamping and dyeing methods adapted from textile dyeing can be used to make patterned papers such as orizomegami (folded-and-dip-dyed paper) and itajimegami (clamped-and-dip-dyed paper). A range of colors can be achieved with longer dipping times. Sheets shown here are dyed in successively deeper shades of indigo. 2004. Ogawa Koji carefully hangs wet sheets to dry between two poles at Yoshioka's studio. 2004. sheets that are made into paper camellia flowers as an offering during the ritual of O-Mizu Tori, at Todaiji temple in Nara, one of the oldest festivals in Japan. Sometimes, when all of the above techniques have failed to produce a deep, even color, sukikaeshi may come to the rescue. Literally "make and return," sukikaeshi is the term used for dyeing finished sheets of paper, re-pulping them, and forming them into sheets all over again. Due to its labor-intensive nature, it is not commonly used, but it can yield excellent results. For example, to make perfectly even, dark blue sheets with four deckle edges, you might choose to dip dye sheets of white paper in an indigo vat, rinse them, let them dry, cut off the area of the sheet that was clamped under the bamboo strips, beat the rest back into pulp, and make new sheets. Because the dye has soaked into the fiber and been allowed to dry, the color tends to be well attached and remains strong despite being re-hydrated and poured back in the papermaking vat. Each of the methods described above has found both secular and religious uses, large and small. From the tiniest paper flowers to huge sheets for fusuma doors, dyed papers have been made in an enormous variety of sizes and types. But natural dyes are no longer part of the vernacular of everyday life and craft work. While approximately 350 households in Japan still engage in papermaking, only a handful regularly produce naturally dyed papers. Many papermakers I visited who once were known for their natural dyes no longer work with them, or at least not often. Some are simply uninterested, but most do not have the time or resources to devote to the arduous process of dyeing on top of papermaking. Those who are interested—and knowledgeable— make dyed papers only for special orders or just once or twice a year, when they have a break in their regular work cycle. Similarly, only a few natural dyers regularly work with paper. There is still interest in natural dyes among conservators and scroll mounters who restore cultural properties. Although they tend to work with only a few dyes and a limited number of techniques, they do remain committed to using these time-tested natural materials. Perhaps the future of naturally dyed papers lies with us. While it is no longer commercially viable to use natural dyes for large-scale production, artists and craftspeople can help to perpetuate this ancient tradition by using naturally dyed papers, which yield a spectrum with unique charms, unmatched beauty, and are safer and more pleasant to work with. In my experience, the results are well worth the effort. The author recommends the following sources for naturally dyed Japanese papers: Hiromi Paper International (Santa Monica, CA); Japanese Paper Place (Toronto); and Ozu Washi (Tokyo). Dye materials may be found in your own backyard (such as walnut hulls), or at your local Asian grocery store (lotus leaves, cloves, tumeric, rock alum). There are many dye and pigment suppliers in the US and Europe, though most do not carry Japanese dyestuffs. Check Kremer Pigments (New York and Germany), Maiwa (Vancouver, BC), or the Woolery (Murfreesboro, NC). The best source for Japanese dyestuffs is Tanaka Nao (Tokyo and Kyoto). ___________ notes 1. Kume Yasuo, "Geneology of Strong and Elegant Washi," in Washi Sokan. trans. by Yuko Doi and Tatiana Ginsberg (Kyoto: 2000 Nenki washi iinkai, forthcoming). 2. Haruna Yoshishige, "Washi and the Art of Calligraphy," in Tezuki Washi Taikan (Tokyo: Mainichi Newspapers, 1973–74). 3. Uemura Rokuro. "Wazomegami: Japanese Dyed Paper," in Tezuki Washi Taikan (see note 2). 36 - hand papermaking Yoshioka Sachio brushes safflower pigment onto paper. The richest reds require the extract from an entire kilo of flower petals to color a single sheet of paper. 2005. Yoshioka's studio supplies safflower-dyed sheets to the monks of Todaiji temple in Nara. The sheets are used to make paper flowers that are placed on altars as offerings during the oldest temple festival in Japan, O-Mizu Tori. 2004. u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 u – o– 􀁭􀂺 􀁧􀂺 u o 􀁭 􀁧 I made this lotus-dyed paper from Japanese kozo which I cooked with soda ash and beat by hand. I dyed the prepared pulp in a warm extract of dried lotus leaves, then soaked the pulp in an alum mordant. Afterwards, I rinsed the pulp and returned it to the dye bath using the sakizome method, as described in the article. As a final step before sheet formation, I rinsed the pulp to clear away unattached dye. I obtained the lotus leaves from an Asian grocery store where they are sold for steaming rice. Rock alum, the gentlest form of this common mordant, can be obtained from such stores as well, where it is sold for pickling. A long lineage of people helped me to learn the specialized techniques needed to make these seemingly simple sheets of yellow paper. I am grateful to: Yoshioka Sachio and Fukuda Denji for teaching me the art of dyeing; Kurosaki Akira for his guidance during my stay in Kyoto; Tim Barrett for teaching me about Japanese paper and encouraging me to seek out answers in the field; and Mina Takahashi who got me hooked on Japanese papermaking in the first place. I am deeply indebted to the Fulbright foundation for funding my research and to all my devoted chiritori helpers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I made the paper. Hand Papermaking appreciates the generosity of Underwriter-level contributors Peter and Robyn Newland for sponsoring this paper sample. Lotus-Dyed Kozo Paper Sample tatiana ginsberg summer 2007 - 37