Difference between revisions of "Category:Indigo: Ukiyo-e colorant"

Revision as of 00:14, 27 July 2020

Indigo 藍(ai): A natural dark blue dye obtained from Indigofera tinctoria plants native to India, Java, Peru, and other tropical areas. The use of indigo was first mentioned in Indian manuscripts in the 4th century BCE. In Japan, indigo was introduced from China in the 6th century. The dye is obtained from an indigo plant native to Asia, Persicaria tinctoria. Indian indigo was imported at the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Indigo and dayflower are the two blues used in Japanese woodblock prints until Prussian blue enters the palette in the 1830's. Indigo appears most frequently from the 1740’s onwards as a color mixed with orpiment to produce a variety of greens. As a single colorant, it appears as a comparatively dull blue color. Due to its poor tinting strength, a relatively large amount needs to be used during printing in order to obtain a good saturation of this color. Its texture is somewhat coarse which makes it difficult to execute graduated hues from dark to light. Unlike dayflower, it is stable to moisture but is prone to fading.

Indigo and orpiment are mixed or overprinted to create a green. This mixture is the most commonly seen combination to create a green.

For more information see: Indigo

Examples of Indigo in Ukiyo-e Prints


Beauties of the Yoshiwara by Suzuki Harunobu


Beauties of the Yoshiwara by Suzuki Harunobu


Beauties of the Yoshiwara by Suzuki Harunobu


Beauties of the Yoshiwara by Suzuki Harunobu


Beauties of the Yoshiwara by Suzuki Harunobu

Analysis

Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) can easily identify the three blues: dayflower, indigo, and Prussian blue.

FORS spectrum of Dayflower reference
FORS spectrum of Indigo reference
FORS spectrum of Prussian blue reference

Other Images of Indigo

Persicaria tinctoria, by Tokushima Prefectural Souvenir and Tourism Plaza
Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria)
Indigo sticks, by Takeo City Library
Indigo piece (Indigofera tinctoria)
Indigo powder (Indigofera tinctoria)
Paper dyed with indigo
Paper dyed with indigo at 50x
Indigo blue

Add 千種の花、vol2 p16

List of Prints

Below is a list of prints where indigo was detected.

Pages in category "Indigo: Ukiyo-e colorant"

The following 13 pages are in this category, out of 13 total.

B

Bunchō, Actors Nakamura Matsue I as Umegawa and Ichikawa Komazô II as Yoemon, 11.19316

E

H

Hiroshige I/Hiroshige II, Ueno Yamashita, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 11.35842

K

Kuniyoshi, (Actor Ichikawa Ebizô V as) Inuyama Dôsetsu, from the series The Lives of Eight Brave and Loyal Dog Heroes, 11.28841

S

T

U

Utamaro I, Courtesan Asajiu of the Daimonjiya and Nanatsu-ume Sake by Momenya, from the series Aristocrats of Sake Compared to Courtesans of Six Selected Houses, 11.14267

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Indigo and [[:Category:Dayflower: Ukiyo-e colorant|dayflower]] are the two blues used in Japanese woodblock prints until [[:Category:Prussian Blue: Ukiyo-e colorant|Prussian blue]] enters the palette in the 1830's. Indigo appears most frequently from the 1740’s onwards as a color mixed with orpiment to produce a variety of greens. As a single colorant, it appears as a comparatively dull blue color. Due to its poor tinting strength, a relatively large amount needs to be used during printing in order to obtain a good saturation of this color. Its texture is somewhat coarse which makes it difficult to execute graduated hues from dark to light. Unlike dayflower, it is stable to moisture but is prone to fading.
+[[:Category:Indigo/Orpiment: Ukiyo-e colorant|Indigo and orpiment]] are mixed or overprinted to create a green. This mixture is the most commonly seen combination to create a green.
 '''For more information see:''' [[Indigo]]
@@ Line 53: / Line 55: @@
 File:Persicaria tinctoria.jpg|''Persicaria tinctoria'', <small>by Tokushima Prefectural Souvenir and Tourism Plaza</small>
 File:indigo tinctoria t.jpg|Indigo plant (''Indigofera tinctoria'')
+Indigo sticks.jpg|Indigo sticks, <small>by Takeo City Library</small>
 File:indigo_piece_1.jpg|Indigo piece  (''Indigofera tinctoria'')
 File:indigo_powder.jpg|Indigo powder  (''Indigofera tinctoria'')
@@ Line 62: / Line 65: @@
 ==List of Prints ==
-List of prints where indigo was detected
+Below is a list of prints where indigo was detected.