Indigo powder - Aikonari

...As the saying goes, "Awa indigo is sowed, then thinned out when it sprouts, then planted and harvested for the soil," from sowing in February to harvesting in July was a continuous process of hard work, including weeding, pest control, fertilization, and irrigation under the scorching sun. The harvested "indigo leaves" were finely chopped and dried, then carefully beaten with a shackle to make "indigo powder," and finally separated into leaves and stems. The indigo leaves produced by the "indigo growers" were then purchased by middlemen and sent to the "indigo masters."...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "indigo powder" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…〈阿波藍〉は〈藍の種まき生えたら間引き，植えりゃ水取り土用刈り〉とうたわれたように，2月の播種（はしゆ）から7月の収穫まで除草，害虫駆除，施肥，炎天下の灌水作業と重労働の連続であった。収穫した〈葉藍〉は細刻して乾燥させ，〈藍粉成（あいこなし）〉といって連枷（からさお）で丹念に打ちほぐし，最後に葉と茎にわける。こうして〈藍作人〉の手になる葉藍は，次に仲買人により〈藍師〉のもとに買い集められる。…

※「藍粉成」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報