indigo ball; ball of fermented indigo leaves
Traditional dyeing material made from dried, ground, and fermented leaves of dyer's knotweed (藍). Used in Japanese indigo dyeing. Compare with 藍玉, which is a similar term.
See also: 藍玉
We use indigo balls for indigo dyeing.
玉藍を砕いて染料を作る。
Crush the indigo ball to make dye.
Compound of 玉 (ball) and 藍 (indigo). The reading たまあい is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi of each kanji.