Use of anthocyanins for green dyeing of cloth

Kusakizome is a collective term of Japanese traditional dyeing technologies using naturally-occuring pigments. For green dyeing of a cloth in Kusakizome, two methods have been mainly utilized: (1) the combination of indigo blue and yellowish flavonoids, and (2) chlorophyl green coupled with a copper salt as a color fixative. We have demonstrated useful methods for green dyeing which features the use of anthocyanin blue with alum mordant under the weak basic condition coordinating with natural yellow pigments. Various anthocyanin-containing plants or flowers could be utilized for the green dyeing and the operative simplicity is highly attractive. Some factors for solidity of the green cloth in the method were also evaluated.