To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color is currently at the de Young Museum.

It was an exquisite exhibit showcasing resist dye methods from India Japan Indonesia and Africa. The methods included tie-dye, batik, stitch-resist dying, ikat, stencil-resist dying, and mordant resist-dying. The traditions of these textile methods have been have been passed down through generations and share commonalities in significance and purpose across cultures. There were shibori dyed Japanese kimonos, Ukpaga Nigerian ceremonial clothes, trarikanmakun chief ponchos from Chile, Pidan ceremonial hangings from Cambodia and more. Each textile shared the purpose of distinguishing class and wealth, as well sometimes having talismanic powers for protection and empowerment. Batik is a resist dye method that involves hot wax applied to cloth prior to dying and is a Malay Indonesian term. I remember visiting a batik factory in Malaysia with its large baths of color. The mordant resist dye method was very similar to this although in Lou of wax, a mordant is applied to develop the dye and in its absence is the absence of color. They had a similar look to them. Some of the most impressive pieces were the trarikanmakun chief ponchos from Chile. There are three distinct types of Mapuche chief's ponchos : 'wirikanmakun' or warp-striped; the 'niminmakun', embellished with elaborate complementary warp-patterned or double-cloth bands; and 'trarikanmakun', ikat-dyed which was the most prestigious. I have a vintage boutique in Rockridge Oakland, and I always keep my eyes peeled for South American ponchos in the local thrift stores. The exhibit was very nostalgic for my mom who grew up in Phnom Penh Cambodia. A pidan is a type of silk cloth used in Cambodian weddings, funerals, and Buddhist ceremonies as a tapestry. Pidan are often decorated with images and made using Ikat dyeing methods. We have three pidans from Cambodia hanging in our home and they were part of the museum exhibit! The exhibit was beautiful and inspiring and spoke to the spiritual, historical and social elements of textiles.