a brief history
indigo blue
indigo extraction
indigo plants
indigo dyeing
dyeing yellow
yellow dyes
dyeing red
red roots
red insects
dyeing green
bark browns
dyeing black
soap and soda
alum, iron, dung
Sources - Quellen
in living plant form indigo exists as a colorless substance comprised of sugars and indoxyl. plants are harvested and soaked or composted, and through bacteriological action (fermentation) the sugars are reduced. the indoxyl is released and, by subsequent airing, combined with Oxygen (oxidization) to form indigo, the concentrated blue pigment.
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primitive indigo preparation involves the careful composting of plant material. when the fermentation is complete, the material is much reduced , the blue somewhat concentrated. ash or other alkali is added and the mass is shaped and dried as indigo balls. this method of processing indigo for dyeing was practiced in prehistory by many cultures, in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. several of these cultural traditions continue today. |
primitive Indigo preparation from Mali |
 pure indigo extract from South India |
more advanced processing yields a finer, more concentrated indigo. for extraction of the blue, plant material is entered into great tanks with water and fermented. plant rests are removed and air is beaten into the solution, forming indigo blue. this settles out and is collected, sold as paste or dried cake. in China, India, also in Guatemala and Mexico, indigo is still produced in this way. |