There are not many naturally blue-colored objects on Earth, which is why minerals that could be used to make blue pigments, such as lapis lazuli, were once as highly valued as gold. Indigo — a dark, rich blue pigment extracted from the tropical plant Indigofera tinctoria — was equally rare and expensive. It could dye cotton, linen and silk fabrics, and was a pigment coveted the world over.
This show presents indigo-colored dresses, folk costumes and fabrics from the collection of the Kobe Fashion Museum. Also on display are works by Hiroyuki Shindo, a dye artist who runs The Little Indigo Museum in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture; till Sept. 27.
Kobe Fashion Museum; (078) 858-0050; 2-9-1 Koyocho Naka, Higashi Nada-ku, Kobe-shi; near Island Center Station, Rokko Liner. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ¥500. Closed Wed. www.fashionmuseum.or.jp.
