Indigo Dyeing Korean National Living Treasure

Recognized by the Korean Government with the title of "Korean National Living Treasure of Indigo Dyeing" Mrs. Choi (pronounced Chae) has exhibited her indigo and saffron-dyed hemp weaving in 7 countries in Asia, the USA and Europe. She has written and published several books on this subject and her research can also be found in Korean academic journals. She is further licenced in the medicinal use of herbs and in the making of dyes from herbs. She taught me so much in her home-workshop a few days ago. The French International Arts organization Chateau du Clos Lucé (the last residence of Leonardo da Vinci) awarded her the red-plumed pen in recognition of her efforts in promoting the use of fermented dyes. She also received a similar award from the European Institute for traditional fermentation dyeing. She is the only authentic indigo crafts artist in Korea and grows, harvests and ferments her own indigo, saffron and other herbs plants into gorgeous dyes and grows her own hemp, strips it, and processes and dyes it with indigo, saffron and a multitude of colors and then also weaves it all herself. She also raises her own silk worms and occasionally weaves silk, and also cotton. In this slide show she is wearing her own-made indigo cotton garment. In hot weather like now Koreans tend to wear hemp, linen and cotton to keep cool. A spectacular workshop for a spectacular lady. She also travels to many foreign countries to teach Korean children born and raised overseas about all aspects of Korean culture. She also practices Korean, Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies and is fluent in Japanese (the language we used that day, with some Korean words when needed). She soaks wood ash in cold water to make a water with the right ph factor for each dye to best bring out the colors. In the case of saffron dyeing she uses black plum for the mordant to set the colors. She then recycles the ash by drying it in the sun and using it in tea ceremony to bank the charcoal fire under the tea kettles, as you can see here. The indigo ferments first to yellow and later to green. When the cloth is soaked in the green and then washed with cold water, it turns to her gorgeous indigo color.