Nagoya Kuro Montsuki Zome

The black of formal Japan

Black kimono with white family crests (montsuki) are Japan's most formal wear. Nagoya's method shields the crest shape from the very start of dyeing, rather than painting over it at the end, and dyes slowly over a long time. The result is a strong, colourfast black that does not fade with the years. Pieces are made only to order, in Nagoya and Nishio in Aichi.

Two ways to reach deep black

The silk first gets an under-dye of red or indigo. Then one of two methods follows:

• Immersion (shinsen): crest stencils are pasted on both sides of the cloth, clamped with metal mesh, and the cloth is soaked in dye for a long time. This mon-ate-amitsuke method is unique to Nagoya.
• Brush dyeing (hikizome): resist paste covers the crest and black is brushed on, including the glossy toro-biki black.

Finally, the crest is painted by hand into the white space left behind.

From castle banners to family crests

In the early Edo period, an Owari domain retainer was recognised by Tokugawa Ieyasu as head dyer of Owari, making the domain's banners and flags. By the late Edo period, black crest dyeing was being done for samurai and commoners alike, and a guild formed in the mid-19th century.