Indigo dyeing is a broad category encapsulating a wide variety of indigo dyeing techniques and materials. This kind of textile dyeing technique always utilizes the indigo plant, of which there is a variety and differences in origin: Awa Indigo, native to Southern China; Mountain Blue Indigo, which grows in the mountains of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu; Ryukyu Indigo, a plant that grows wild in Southern Asia, Okinawa, and Taiwan; Indian Indigo, a general term referring to the plant that can be traced back to 2000 BC Egypt; And Ward Indigo, native to Europe. Indigo dyeing techniques also vary depending on the location and materials available; however, most often, the indigo plant is fermented and turned into dye through a very careful and delicate process. The conditions necessary to maintain the vivid, rich indigo color must constantly be maintained through each step of the process. Due to the development of artificial indigo and chemical dyes in the late 1800s, real indigo fabric production decreased, and finding authentically dyed textiles became more and more difficult.