The History on Vegetable Dyes

The earliest dyes used by man in times of antiquity were evidently obtained from vegetable sources. The Bible mentions the \"blood of grapes\" for dyeing garments. More permanent colors were produced in India and Java in very early periods by the use of a dye from yellow juices of plants, which turned blue when the garments were exposed to sunlight and air.

Textiles from the ancient tombs of Egypt and the very old Hindoo temples of India, and clothes and blankets found in very early times in the Incan graves of Chili and Peru all seem to have been dyed with some form of indigo. The Romans in their glory imported indigo from India and called it \"Indicum\" (Indian).

After a sea route around South Africa was discovered, the Orient sent back such dyes as indigo, madder, Indian saffron, sandlewood. camwood or barwood, cutch, gambier, and probably other dyestuffs, part of which were picked up along the African coasts. The soft and permanent colors of the beautiful Oriental rugs of past ages were largely made from \"good old vegetable dyes.\"

It should also be noted that other important dyes, such as logwood and fustic, were imported by the Old World from the \"West Indies and Central America after the discovery of the two western continents. Wood finishers of all ages have selected certain usable dyes from the larger list of dyestuffs known to textile dyers.

In general, the wood-finisher has chosen colors that could be applied easily, thus avoiding the use of mordants and other after treatments, which are more successfully and conveniently applied to textiles than to wood. It should be remembered that practically all of the most permanent dyes that can be used in dyeing textiles by simple or direct processes can also be used in staining wood.

After a sea route around South Africa was discovered, the Orient sent back such dyes as indigo, madder, Indian saffron, sandlewood, camwood or barwood, cutch, gambier, and other dyestuffs, part of which were picked up along the African coasts...