The
Timeless Art
of Natural Dyeing
By Melville Holmes and Kathryn Brogdon
”
“The invention of synthetic dyes in the last century made people accustomed to very
bright, pure and garish colors but spoiled them for the more subtle hues derived from
natural dyes. Yet using dyes derived from nature is a centuries’ old craft.”
John Seymour, The Forgotten Crafts, 1984 1
N
o one knows exactly where, when, or how textile dyeing
began, but it is undeniably ancient. The practice of decorating
oneself with color appears to be an elemental human trait,
extending from the cultures of aboriginal peoples to the
modern fashion industry, from the arts of body painting to the
refinements of modern cosmetic application and the dyeing of
clothes. Julius Caesar, recounting his invasions of Britain in
55 and 54 B.C., remarked upon the painted warriors who stood
fast against his Roman legions. “All the Britons, indeed,” said
he, “dye themselves with wood [wode], which occasions a
bluish colour, and thereby have a more terrible appearance in
fight.”
Natural dyes derive from both botanical and animal sources
– many kinds of plants, a few kinds of insects, and some
shellfish – and they go hand in hand with natural fibers,
which are of two main kinds: cellulose-based, like linen and
cotton, or protein-based, like silk and wool. Before the mid-
19th century all dyes and fabrics were natural. 2
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE
Men Dyeing Whole Fabric
Woodcut from the Plictho of Giovanventura Rosetti
1548