Indigo Weave

This indigo weave was produced in Taiwan in the 19th century. Indigo dye is prized for its fastness, or ability to retain brilliancy over time, and the range of shades it can produce. Archaeological work has turned up textiles dyed with indigo that have retained their color for over two thousand years, and simply dipping textiles repeatedly in indigo dye can produce anything from light blue to deep blue-black.

It takes about 20 days to process the liaolan (Polygonum tinctorium) plant into indigo dye. Once the dyestuff has been finished, it can be added to a vat of warm alkaline solution and used to dye textiles. When fabric is first lowered into the solution it appears yellow-green, but when it is taken out of the liquid and allowed to oxidize the dye becomes brilliant blue.