Someya Umeharu is 83 years old. He has been dealing with Kumagaya Nassen Dyes for almost 70 years. Nassen is a method of dying where stencil is used. Glue is coated over stenciled white fabric. Stencil is then peeled off and dye is applied to the areas with no glue. Stencils are prepared for each color. And in order to apply different shades, glue is washed off and the stenciling process is repeated. Most orders are for single color since the patterns themselves highlight the kimono. The pin stripe pattern with stripes the size of fine hair represents Kumagaya Dyes. The craftsman's skill reflects in the dye where absolutely no stencil borders could be seen.
Dyed fabric used to be rinsed in the Arakawa River
Mr. Someya was born in Yorii-machi as the second son of a third generation indigo dye craftsman. At the time, indigo dye craftsmen were called Koya and dealt mostly with processing orders and sales. White fabric and stencil were then delivered to the Nassen craftsmen to apply the dyes. Mr. Someya left his Koya family and moved to Kumagaya and began working on Kumagaya Dyes at age 14. Since then, he has been honing his skills and is now training successors. Among Mr. Someya's dyes is an extraordinary work done with Ise stencil. The piece has been acknowledged by the prefecture as a traditional folk craft item. "Until the '60's, we were rinsing off glue from dyed fabrics on the Arakawa River. The stream supplied abundant water," says Mr. Someya. Modernization has changed some of the processes. Yuzen craftsmen rinsing off glue on the river have become scarce since the development of the transportation system. And Nassen dye methods have been updated. Nevertheless, the tradition and craftsmanship that developed over a long stretch of time are still kept alive.
