Indigo: Ukiyo-e colorant
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 CE. The dye is obtained from an indigo plant native to Asia, Persicaria tinctoria (蓼藍 tadeai). The colorant can also be extracted from indigo dyed cloth or fibers according to Hokusai's illustrated treatise, Ehon saishikitsū (画本彩色通). Indian indigo began to be imported around the end of the Edo period (1603–1868).
Indigo and dayflower are the two blues used in Japanese woodblock prints until Prussian blue enters the palette in the 1830s. Indigo appears most frequently from the 1740s 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.
Indigo and orpiment are mixed or overprinted to create a green. This mixture is the most commonly seen combination to create a green.
For additional information see: Indigo, Uemura Dye Archive: Indigo 272, 274, 275, Persicaria tinctoria (Kew)
Examples of Indigo in Ukiyo-e Prints
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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
Images of Indigo
Persicaria tinctoria, by Tokushima Prefectural Souvenir and Tourism Plaza
Indigofera tinctoria
Indigo sticks, by Takeo City Library
Indigo piece (Indigofera tinctoria)
Indigo powder (Indigofera tinctoria)
Sukumo indigo (Persicaria tinctoria)
Paper dyed with indigo
Paper dyed with indigo at 50x
Indigo blue at 500x
Printed Indigo
Printed Indigo
Indigo paste, by National Museum of Natural History
Indigo (audio), by Harvard Art Museums
Ai-Tokushima:The story of Japan blue (video), by Tokushima prefecture channel
Awa indigo and its production method (video), by jrtservice623
Indigo Building (video), by Yamatokoriyama City Tourism Association
Indigo dye extraction (video), by kmaexports
List of Prints
Below is a list of prints where indigo was detected.
Pages in category "Indigo: Ukiyo-e colorant"
The following 15 pages are in this category, out of 15 total.
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- TEST-Utamaro I, Women Overnight Guests, a Triptych, 21.6328-30
- TEST-Utamaro I, Women Overnight Guests, left panel of triptych, 21.6328
- Toyokuni, Actor Arashi Kitsusaburô I as the Monkey Trainer Yojirô, in the Horikawa Scene of the Play Oshun and Denbei, 11.30331
- Toyonobu, Rain in the Fifth Month, 11.19048
- Toyonobu, Young Couple Burning Maple Leaves to Heat Sake, 11.19676