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A persimmon dyeing method
After harvesting green and unripe persimmons in early August, the fruits can be crushed and then juiced to make the dye.
Textiles are soaked and squished in fresh, green persimmon juice for about 10 minutes and then hung on clotheslines.
After this step, the textiles take on a yellowish color.
Once they are almost dry, they are thoroughly rinsed with fresh water and then, still wet, hung back on the clothesline.
To complete the dyeing process, the textiles must hang in the sun for several days and needs to be turned, which gives them an interesting orange or light brownish color. If a more intense color is desired, the dyeing process can be repeated.
Please note: The sun plays an important role in the dyeing process. Therefore, dyeing should only be done on sunny days, preferably in summer when the sun is most intense.
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During the dyeing process the textiles become quite stiff. Which diminishes after several rinsing and ironing cycles.
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It is said that Persimmon dyed textiles has anti-bacterial properties and resists insects. Through fermentation in wooden barrels, the fresh, tannin-rich juice evolves into kakishibu, a proven wood preservative. Kakishibu can be used for dyeing in the same way as the fresh juice. For centuries, kakishibu has also been used to make paper dyeing stencils (katagami) that are used to dye the different patterns of kimonos.
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