From Ancient to Modern Times
Adding uniqueness to clothing via dyeing has been used since forever to symbolize trustworthiness, status and power. After centuries of people using cotton and linseed textiles, when the first civilizations were blooming in the Middle East, in Asia and in Egypt, the need to clearly represent class and gender became more intense; as a result, the first natural dyes were created. Scientists have even found evidence regarding the first natural orange and red shades in tombs which date back to 2600BC in China. Later, colored pigments were found within the tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt. Even Alexander the Great mentioned the color purple in reference to clothing in 541 BC.
Earliest surviving colored fabrics
Archaeologists studying the earliest surviving colored fabrics as well as ancient manuscripts have concluded that people have been coloring, for aesthetic satisfaction as well as utilitarian uses, all kinds of fabrics by utilizing two types of dyes: until 1856, natural dyes – vegetable/ plant dyes, mineral dyes and insect/ animal dyes – and, from then on synthetic ones, after William Henry Perkin’s accidental discovery of the latter while he was in search of a cure for malaria.
Regarding archaeological proof, a manuscript of paramount importance, originating from the Hellenistic period, known as the “Stockholm Papyrus”, has been found which highlights the huge role the dyeing process has played in and since the ancient times. Containing over 100 recipes for dyes and guides on how to apply natural dyes onto textiles and fabrics, it is considered an important historical source which shows the step-by-step progress and evolution of the dyeing processes from the Hellenistic to Roman times.
Some of the most common natural dyes are: Tyrian purple, madder red, cochineal red, and indigo blue.
Tyrian purple, also called royal purple and imperial purple, was one of the most well-known and most significant natural dyes to have ever been found. According to a legend, Hercules’ sheepdog bit a small mollusk that turned its mouth the color of coagulated blood while at the beach of Tyre, Lebanon; a color which became known as royal or tyrian purple. This brought great prosperity to Tyre, and for centuries it was considered the most expensive natural dye and was used to symbolize exclusivity, success, immense wealth, sovereignty. A fun-fact is that purple was the color of Cleopatra’s barge, so, Julius Caesar had decreed that the color could only be worn by the emperor and his household.
Why Choose Natural Dyes?
Are you still wondering why one would choose natural dyes over synthetic ones? Because natural dyes are literally organic and natural ingredients with no toxic chemicals, carcinogens or other non-sustainable substances touching our skin and harming our planet. Furthermore, they are biodegradable, nontoxic, and zero waste. Fruit, flowers, vegetables and many more organic sources can be used to create natural dyes for so many different fabrics, and they can produce such a great variety of results, too; the options are endless. Most natural dyes are of plant origin and can be extracted from roots, wood, bark, berries, lichens, leaves, flowers, nuts, and seeds. Others come from shellfish, insects and mineral compounds.
There are the adjective or additive natural dyes, like madder, which must use a mordant (chemical compound which fixes a dye) to bond with fibers. These are actually the most common type and have been used for at least 2,000 years. On the other hand, substantive dyes bond with a fiber without the use of a mordant or they contain tannin which is a natural mordant. Some examples of substantive dyes are: safflower, cochineal and black walnut. Madder, cochineal, and other natural dyes are poly-chromic, in other words, they can create very different colors with different mordants.
Generally speaking, the natural dyeing process has deeper connected us with the environment and has opened up a whole new realm of creativity and self-expression, especially in the world of fashion and garments, and with the natural dyes being a renewable resource, there is great contribution to rural financial development, as well.
What Can Be Used as Natural Dye?
There is a ton of options when it comes to organic ingredients (we can even use tea leaves!) which can be used to produce natural dyes for wool, linen, cotton, silk and other fabrics. What we choose mainly depends on what color we are trying to get onto our pieces of clothing as an end-result. We can, also, modify the final colors by adjusting their pH levels if we are not satisfied with the result at a first glance.
Some examples of colors and their natural creation:
Orange: Carrots, turmeric, butternut seeds, husk
Green: Spinach, artichokes, mint leaves, lilacs
Indigo: Black beans, purple cabbage, blueberries/ blackberries
Yellow: Onion skins, marigolds, sunflower petals, paprika, celery leaves
Red & pink: Fresh beets, pomegranates, red/ pink rose petals, avocado pits
It goes without saying that the shade and saturation level of our dye will vary based upon the fruit, plant or flower we have selected as well as our technique.
There are hundreds different natural dyes if we take into account just how many different materials exist in the world that can be used to create them. Natural dyes are also used a lot by artists and individuals involved with miscellaneous crafts.