chōji 丁子

Also written 丁字. A deep yellow, dull orange, or tan colored aromatic dye senryō 染料 made from the flowers or buds of the clove tree chōji 丁子 (eugenia aromatica). The dyed color is also known as chōji or chōji-iro 丁子色; its old name was kō-iro 香色, literally scented color. Chōji became popular in the Heian period because of the aroma it imparted to clothes. The flowers were dried and then boiled to make the dye, which could be used without a mordant. In the Edo period iron and lye were added to the dye bath, giving a darker color known as chōjicha 丁子茶, susutake-iro 煤竹色, or shibu-iro 渋色.