Dyestuffs

Ordering Information.

We have just begun to look into period natural dyestuffs, and cannot yet say a great deal about them. Please share your experiences and expertise with us. We shall be adding more dyestuffs in the future; tell us what you want. (Some of these dyestuffs are also used as food colourings, and so will be found on the Spices and Herbs Page as well. Look there for alkanet and saffron.)

0115 ANNATTO SEEDS

The brick-red coating of these seeds gives orange-browns to golden yellows in an alkaline dyebath. The colour is not highly light-fast, however, so should be used on goods not going into the sun. It was used by the pre-Columbian Americans as fabric dye, food colour, and body paint.

25 g	1.25
500 g	16.35

0185 COCHINEAL

This insect dye gives colours from scarlet and crimson to pink and even orange, depending on the mordant and treatment. The colouring substance is carminic acid. The insect is native to Mexico and Peru. Cochineal (the dried female insect, approximately 70,000 to the pound) was being shipped to Europe as a dyestuff by about 1525; by 1600 it had largely replaced the older insect dye, kermes, as it is more concentrated and when mordanted with chloride of tin it gives a more vivid colour.

25 g	12.50
500 g	225.00

0800 LOGWOOD CHIPS

The heartwood of a tree from Central America, logwood was used in late period to give blues, browns, and even a reddish purple colour, depending on the mordant used.

25 g	6.00
500 g	100.00

0810 MADDER ROOT

Also known as 'Turkey Red', madder gives a beautiful red dye.

25 g	1.35
500 g	18.00

BRAZILWOOD red dyes, from heartwood of various species of Caesalpinia and related trees, were in use in the Old World long before the discovery of America. The name comes from an Arabic word, 'braza', meaning 'bright red'. The country is named Brazil because European explorers found supplies of dyewood there.

0821 BRAZILWOOD (NICARAGUA WOOD) CHIPS

These splints of wood of Haematoxylon brasiletto from Mexico and Central America give a variety of reds, from burgundies to purplish magentas.

25 g	1.30
500 g	17.20

0822 BRAZILWOOD (PERNAMBUCO WOOD) SAWDUST

This sawdust of Caesalpinia echinata from South America gives colours similar to the other brazilwood, but the dye can be extracted faster.

25 g	1.40
500 g	18.55

0830 INDIGO, NATURAL (No. 1 quality grade)

Indigo, giving a fine blue dye that is both lightfast and waterfast, has been used for several thousand years in India and the East. It was imported to Greece and Rome in small amounts, and came into wider use in Europe in the 16th century, replacing woad. Comes in vivid blue blocks, roughly 6 cm x 6 cm x 2 cm.

25 g	6.75
500 g	91.00

0840 CUTCH EXTRACT

Long used in India, this is prepared from the wood of Acacia catechu. It gives rich colourfast browns, especially on wool. The granules of brittle resin should be pounded fine and dissolved in hot water.

25 g	1.40
500 g	18.55

0440 SAUNDERS (RED SANDALWOOD)

This finely ground heartwood of the Pterocarpus santalinus tree gives red-browns to purplish-browns in an alkaline dyebath. Use alcohol to extract the dye, which is insoluble in water.

25 g	2.70
500 g	36.00

Ordering Information.

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