Sitting upside down next to my bicycle is an old ceramic Ohtani yaki (pottery from Ohtani) vessel made for indigo dying. 'Ai' (藍) means indigo and 'kame' (かめ) means vessel or pot. This photo was taken several years ago and was my first real 'aigame'. It is now right side up, decked out in a heated blanket and supported so it doesn't topple over. It also contains a slurry of fermented plant matter which I fuss over daily. It is this fussing and the condition of that muddy liquid that some people are interested in. For me, the amazing world history of indigo, the folklore and the actual process of coaxing a deep blue out of a normal looking weed is akin to magic. It is also trial and error, knowledge through experience, and a lot like a high school science project. Maybe we can take some of the mystery out of the process for those wanting to try a natural indigo vat of their own. Or, maybe introduce the mystery to those who have never witnessed a piece of cloth emerge from an indigo dye pot or don't even know that indigo is a plant! I am based in Japan and learned a lot of what I know about setting up my own vat here so I also hope to connect with others and learn more about indigo from different areas.
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