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Natural dyes : sources, tradition, technology and science / Dominique Cardon.

By: Language: English Original language: French Publisher: London, England : Archetype, 2007Description: xxi, 778 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 26 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 190498200X
  • 9781904982005
Subject(s):
Contents:
PART 1. THE ART OF DYEING -- The experience of centuries -- The discovery and mastery of mordants and mordanting -- PART 2. DYE-PLANTS -- Reds, violets, russets: safflower and quinone dyes -- A world of reds: Rubiaceae plants rich in red anthraquinone dyes -- A wealth of yellows: plants containing flavonoids -- Flavonoids, but not yellow -- Yellow, but not flavonoids -- Cocaigne to cowboys: indigo plants, indigo blues -- Into darkness: tannin plants -- Dyes from lichens and fungi -- PART 3. DYEING ANIMALS: PURPLE-GIVING MOLLUSCS AND RED DYE SCALE INSECTS -- Purple from molluscs -- Vermilion, scarlet and crimson: scale insect sources of anthraquinone dyes.
Summary: At a time when more and more plants and animals are threatened with extinction by humanity's ever-increasing pressure on the land and oceans of the planet, this book sets out to record sources of colorants discovered and used on all the continents from antiquity until the present day. Some 300 plants and 30 animals (marine molluscs and scale insects) are illustrated and discussed by the author (recently - January 2016 - awarded the Legion d'Honneur for her scientific work), whose passion for natural dyes, with their colours of unequalled richness and subtlety, has taken her across the globe in search of dye sources and dyers. Botanical/zoological details are given for each source and the chemical structures shown for each dye. Dyes employed by different civilisations, identified by dye analyses, are illustrated and relevant historical recipes and detailed descriptions of dyeing processes by traditional dyers are quoted and explained in the light of modern science. Other current uses of such colorants, e.g. in medicine and for food and cosmetics, are also noted. Although natural dyes have been replaced largely by synthetic dyes, increasing worldwide awareness of the harmful consequences of the pollution resulting from the production and use of some synthetic colorants has led to a significant revival and renewed interest in natural colorants. As potential renewable resources, natural dyes are an integral part of the major issue of our time - sustainable development. The aim of this book is to provide a scientific background for this important debate. This authoritative resource is an expanded, corrected and updated translation of the award winning book Le Monde des Teintures Naturelles (Belin, Paris, 2003). It is aimed at dyers, scientists, designers, artists, weavers, spinners, curators, conservators and restorers, museums, research institutions...all those who have a professional or personal interest in, or passion for, colour.

Originally published in French: Le monde des teintures naturelles. Paris : Éditions Belin, 2003.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

PART 1. THE ART OF DYEING -- The experience of centuries -- The discovery and mastery of mordants and mordanting -- PART 2. DYE-PLANTS -- Reds, violets, russets: safflower and quinone dyes -- A world of reds: Rubiaceae plants rich in red anthraquinone dyes -- A wealth of yellows: plants containing flavonoids -- Flavonoids, but not yellow -- Yellow, but not flavonoids -- Cocaigne to cowboys: indigo plants, indigo blues -- Into darkness: tannin plants -- Dyes from lichens and fungi -- PART 3. DYEING ANIMALS: PURPLE-GIVING MOLLUSCS AND RED DYE SCALE INSECTS -- Purple from molluscs -- Vermilion, scarlet and crimson: scale insect sources of anthraquinone dyes.

At a time when more and more plants and animals are threatened with extinction by humanity's ever-increasing pressure on the land and oceans of the planet, this book sets out to record sources of colorants discovered and used on all the continents from antiquity until the present day.

Some 300 plants and 30 animals (marine molluscs and scale insects) are illustrated and discussed by the author (recently - January 2016 - awarded the Legion d'Honneur for her scientific work), whose passion for natural dyes, with their colours of unequalled richness and subtlety, has taken her across the globe in search of dye sources and dyers. Botanical/zoological details are given for each source and the chemical structures shown for each dye. Dyes employed by different civilisations, identified by dye analyses, are illustrated and relevant historical recipes and detailed descriptions of dyeing processes by traditional dyers are quoted and explained in the light of modern science. Other current uses of such colorants, e.g. in medicine and for food and cosmetics, are also noted.

Although natural dyes have been replaced largely by synthetic dyes, increasing worldwide awareness of the harmful consequences of the pollution resulting from the production and use of some synthetic colorants has led to a significant revival and renewed interest in natural colorants. As potential renewable resources, natural dyes are an integral part of the major issue of our time - sustainable development. The aim of this book is to provide a scientific background for this important debate.

This authoritative resource is an expanded, corrected and updated translation of the award winning book Le Monde des Teintures Naturelles (Belin, Paris, 2003). It is aimed at dyers, scientists, designers, artists, weavers, spinners, curators, conservators and restorers, museums, research institutions...all those who have a professional or personal interest in, or passion for, colour.

Translated from the French.