Dyers, coloring professionals, metal workers and gemologists seek vibrant colors and tones since early civilization. The first use of woad, a natural blue sometimes mixed to make purple, is found in a Neolithic cave burial 10,000 ya.
Purple has long held a unique significance, symbolizing royalty, wealth, and power. Gem dyes also have a niche in history, sometimes sparkling, sometimes shady. Dyes to make quartz into gemstones are recorded in Pliny's time.
"Nay, even more than this, there are books in existence, the authors of which I forbear to name, which give instructions how to stain crystal in such a way as to imitate smaragdus (emerald) and other transparent stones, how to make sardonyx of sarda (banded onyx), and other gems in a similar manner. Indeed, there is no other kind of fraud practiced by which larger profits are made."
Pliny the Elder (c 23 - 79 AD)
The rarity of purple in nature makes this a coveted shade, used sparingly and reserved for the elite. Below are a few natural purple dyes used by ancient and medieval dyers.
Sources of Natural Purple Dyes
Several natural sources provided the exquisite purple hues coveted by dyers in ancient and medieval times. Below are some of the most notable:
1. Tyrian Purple
The most famous purple dye of antiquity is Tyrian purple, named after the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. This dye, derived from secretions of the Murex snail, produce a rich, vibrant color highly sought after by royalty.
The process of creating Tyrian purple is labor-intensive. Collection and deaths of thousands of snails produce just enough dye to trim the bottom of one toga.
Due to price it's a luxury good in ancient Rome and other civilizations. The dye varies in shade, from deep violet to bright crimson, depending on the snail species and preparation process.
2. Woad
While not a direct source of purple, woad (Isatis tinctoria) has a long history in dyeing practices, especially in Europe. Woad produces a vibrant blue hue, which when mixed with madder root (Rubia tinctorum), could create shades of purple.
The use of woad and madder in tandem was a common practice among medieval dyers, giving rise to various gradients of purple that adorned garments across the continent. These colors also find their ways into the palettes of medieval painters.
3. Logwood
Logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum), a tree native to Central America, is naturalized throughout the temperate world. The tree is of economic importance from the 17th to 19th centuries, when it's commonly logged and exported to Europe for dyeing fabrics.
It rises to prominence in the dyeing industry during the 17th century. The heartwood of the logwood tree yields a dark purple dye, popular in Europe. Its rich tone is favored for textiles, providing a more accessible alternative to Tyrian purple, especially as trade expanded.
4. Purple Sweet Potato & Yam
Anthocyanins, a class of water-soluble flavonoids found in plants, have a wide range of use. Blue, red, and purple colored pigments extracted from flowers, fruits, and vegetables are traditionally used as dye and food colorant.
The purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is also used as a dye source. In South America, a dye for cloth is made by combining the juice of red sweet potatoes with lime juice.
Dioscorea alata or purple yam is unmistakably purple. By adjusting the amounts of the juices, a range of colors from pink to black can be achieved. Purple sweet potato color is also used as a natural food coloring.
These colors are completely non-toxic and can be used to dye fabric, paint, food, drinks, yarn or artisan inks. As it's a vegetable dye it's suitable for vegans.
5. Elderberry
Dark ripe elderberries are used to make purple dye. Elderberry leaves or bark can also be used. Leaves create a soft earthy gold and bark is a warm pale beige. The berries produce rich purple. Elderberry is one of the primary choices for those who can't afford Tyrian purple.
Some boil berries in vinegar for a richer color or better color adhesion. There's usually a waiting time while the dye is extracted and left to steep or settle overnight, Elderberry flowers make a dreamy sedative tea. Elderberry wine gives one the ability to see pixies.
Other Natural Purple Sources:
Red Cabbage aka Purple Cabbage - boiling releases bright purple color
Grape Skins - ripe and juicy
Alkanet - the root of this plant gives a reddish-purple dye
Mulberry - berries yield purple and the leaves give earthy green
The Process of Dyeing
Typically, dyers harvest the dyeing materials, prepare them through processes such as boiling, drying or fermenting, and then immerse the textiles in the resulting dye bath. To achieve the desired shade, dyers experiment with different mordants (substances to fix dye to fabric).
Alum is a common mordant used for achieving bright hues, while tannins might be employed for darker shades. Tannin is used to assist the mordants of cellulose fibers and fabrics. It can be bought as tannic acid or extract from various tree barks; avocado pits, coffee or black tea.
Alum doesn't bond well with cellulose fibers. However, tannin bonds well with cellulose and once treated with tannin, alum will combine with the tannin-fiber complex. The combination of dye source, mordant, and fabric type creates an endless array of potential colors.
Purple-Making Techniques c. 300 AD - 3 Recipes
1. "Grind some walnuts with some alkanet of good quality. This done, place them in some strong vinegar; grind again; add some pomegranate bark to this; lay aside three days; and after this, plunge the wool in it and it will be dyed cold .... It is said that there is a certain acanthus which furnishes the purple color; moistened with some natron of Berenice in place of nuts, it produces the same effect."
2. "Take the juice of the upper part of the alkanet and a solid gall-nut roasted in the oven. Having ground it with the addition of a little copperas, mix with the juice, boil, and make the purple dye."
3. "Boil asphodel and natron, put the wool in it 8 drachmas at a time, and rinse it out. Then take and bruise 1 mina of grape skins, mix these with vinegar and let stand 6 hours. Then boil the mixture and put the wool in."
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