indigo as been used to dye textiles for centuries across many cultures. india was the earliest to cultivate the dye, and its name comes from a roman name indicum which means a product of india. it has been known in a lot of the ancient world and many other countries were producers. at planet we primarily have indigo dyed cloth from japan, india, indonesia and a number of countries in africa. indigo is natural and sustainable. more than fifty different species are used to make indigo dye but most natural indigo for sale comes from the tropics and from the species indigofera tinctoria. the plant residue can be used as a fertilizer and the water can even be used for crops.
the dye is challenging because it is not water-soluble until it has undergone a chemical transformation (reduction). several chemical manipulations are required to achieve this process and the dye bath needs to be carefully monitored in order to achieve the required result. to make it soluble, the fabric is immersed in an alkaline vat where oxygen has been removed either by fermentation or with a suitable chemical. after the fabric has been immersed in the dye-bath and is exposed to oxygen, the indigo rapidly converts from a green shade to the deep blue that is much loved. multiple dips in the dye bath deepen the colour and fasten it. cotton and linen are dipped and dried 15-20 times and silk is dipped and dried over 40 times.
indigo is popular because it is fast acting, and so it is less likely to penetrate under the ties in resist-dyeing methods such as bandhani in india, shibori in japan as well as in the resist dyeing required for ikat. indigo also works at lower temperatures, so it is particularly useful for batik in that it won’t melt the resist wax.
indigo is famously used to dye traditional denim and demand for indigo increased dramatically due to levi strauss’s jeans.
in our showroom we have a large collection of products made from natural indigo dyed cloth, (even though of course there are easily available chemical blue coloured dyes). indigo has wonderful natural variations and an intensity of colour that synthetic colours never seem to match. we think that nothing surpasses the intense shades possible with natural indigo.
at planet we think that hand-made tableware has always been in style. we first established a showroom in 1998 and have always prominently promoted functional vessels by australian studio makers. over the years the quality and range of our collection has evolved.
its curious that in the digital age, there seems to be a mainstream trend back to the tactile and very immediate characteristics of fired earth. we are finding that restaurants are leading the charge to make their tables seem unique and with sydney's current obsession with cuisine, this evolution has a long way to run.
the following pieces are a small part of the extensive collection of tableware that we showcase in store
alessandro di sarno (above) loves the sydney landscape and rock-climbing and surfing are part of his lifestyle here. being from rome, he is also a little obsessed with food and beauty. these pieces (above) are carefully crafted with the gestures of making, weight, balance, the thickness of rims and the feeling in one's hand in mind..... but still there is an essence of landscape referred to in his soft khaki glaze. his range is expanding and being constantly refined.
sharon alpren's work (above) has a quiet sophistication. this matt black glaze over an iron clay body results in spots of metallic iron on the surface of the vessels. food looks wonderfully dramatic on black .
jennifer everett (above and below) has come to ceramics in the last few years and is passionate about contributing to a beautiful world. her pots are carefully considered. to me they have an aesthetic that verges on the industrial, with a riveted joins and slabs of clay expressed when they are overlaid.
forms are repeated in three ranges of glazes. some of the blue glazed pieces are wood-fired... an involved process that takes days to complete, all in the pursuit of subtle surface variations.
what you can't see in these images is the soft refinement in the way that they feel to the hand...there are no sharp edges on these beauties and they will stand up to even daily use.
ange and cam from ode are a total inspiration for passionate pursuit of creating expression. they have moved to the country in the last year to expand their capacity for focusing on their ceramic enterprise...... rather a grand way to describe a rather large shed on their property where they make pots.
their cast porcelain pieces (below) are the result of careful consideration of an original aesthetic to make the ritual of daily meals something to be enrich our lives. we thought that the monumental drapery background was perfect for their classic and contemporary take. these glazes are also exclusive to planet
hilary jones (below) studied at the jam factory in adelaide for two years full time to pack her life full of clay and glazes and techniques. her quiet classic pieces are extremely well made and her soft matt surfaces reveal forms beautifully. she makes large generous forms with the warmth of clay-bodies merging with cool glaze colours
this is just a small selection of what we have in store. many other studio makers are pouring their big hearts into vessels to delight just you! as we approach the season for entertaining and giving gifts, we have loaded the showroom with exciting ranges of new pieces for your pleasure. and of course many of the items are unique and unrepeated.....we do have some available on our website but there is no better way than to come in store to have an explore.....
these indigo quilts from india are made with the softest of cotton with a cotton fill and dyes using shibori techniques of binding and clamping to resist dyes and then they are hand stitched together.
the areas around jaipur are famous for intricate block printing techniques. these photos are from a village called bagru that is famous for traditional techniques. intricate wooden blocks are hand carved and printers carefully apply colour using muscle memory, eye/hand co-ordination, years of practise and careful attention.
these block-printed quilts were made especially for planet with colours and blocks patterns and sizes that work on australian beds. they are amazingly warm, affordable and we think beautiful too
in february this year, ross travelled extensively in india working with textile artists to design unique pieces for planet. a special visit was to the kullu valley in the himalayas, in the state of himachal pradesh to see yak's wool weaving.
an early morning flight from delhi was a beautiful way to see the dramatic landscape
yaks look a lot like big boxes covered with lots of hair to me. this pretty one was giving rides near a temple. they are brushed to remove the soft wool which might explain how this one is so well groomed.
the fibre for our pieces is taken from the fine under-hairs and is lightweight, a fantastic insulator and wonderfully soft. generally the wool is brought from ladakh, high up in the himalayas
yak’s hair is comparable to cashmere in softness and fine micron size.
this short film shows some of the processes in weaving...a bit rough and the audio is very patchy and I didn't plan to publish these at the time of recording.......
the yak’s wool arrives on spools and by hand it is put onto the shuttles to weave the weft fibres (these go across the fabric width).
to set up a loom takes two men a full day. 1280 threads need to pass through two needles by hand.
plain weaving takes a bit of energy (I have yet to see an overweight weaver) and also requires a bit of co-ordination. the arm pulls the shuttle across the weft. the feet raise the heddles, which alternate the threads to create the weave. complexity of the weave creates durable structure. usually in this type of weaving they create a diamond weave also known as “bulbul” or birds eye.
weaving is a communal activity. I saw about ten looms in operation together. weavers are paid per complete piece, so they want to be fast, but also accurate.
kullu weavers are famous for colourful border patterns. these complex geometric designs are created by hand on the loom. they tend to be symmetrical. traditionally they were naturally dyed, however currently fluorescent chemical colours are very popular. after the pattern is established, the loose threads are finished by hand.
the pieces are then cut from the loom and are washed and ironed and checked.
this yak's wool handloom fabric meterage I brought home and we have made into cushions.
this obliging guy let a woman pin a lady’s shawl on to him, so that she could show me how woven wear these shawls... basically he is in drag!
later I photographed this lady wearing the full regalia of silver pins that are used to hold the piece together. she is a shaman's wife and was very happy for me to photograph her!
men wear a particular cap which has a colourful geometric design.... its everyday wear and lots of blokes wear them
in a neighbouring region caller kinnaur they make large blankets with borders similar to the kullu weavers. the borders are considered to be prayers and have deep meaning.
i was lucky enough to find some vintage pieces to send home for planet. two sections are stitched together to make the wide width, so they are enormous as well as beautiful.
the charcoal coloured yak's wool blankets like the one above, was made for planet by stitching two large shawls together. we have them in a pale grey and a natural too. they are large enough for a king bed ... and we do have the half size, suitable as a throw
some of the finished pieces that have just arrived for planet in yak's wool and we have an amazing selection in pashmina also
it snowed the first afternoon that I arrived too! quite a magical experience to be inside with a roaring fire and to see this landscape outside
thanks everyone who came to our concert evening by duo ben dollman and monica schmidt andersen last week.....it was great to see you all for a chat and a drink afterwards also
look our for upcoming events this year... and keep informed by subscribing to our newsletter via the planet website at any time..
