7/13/2023 0 Comments Color indigoBy 1914, the manufacturing of plant-based indigo had decreased to just 1,000 tons per year. But in 1897, advances in organic chemistry had replaced natural indigo dye with a synthetic version. In her book, Indigo: The Color That Changed the World (Thames & Hudson, 2013), Legrand unravels a bit of indigo’s enigmatic past and shares how it became one of the most beloved colors across countless cultures.Īfter the first dyers discovered indigo, a simple process to create indigo dye was formed: Soak the leaves in water to extract the color, treat with stabilizers, dry and pulverize into a powder, and finally mix with other ingredients to create the familiar blue dye.įrom those simple beginnings, indigo became such a treasured commodity it was sometimes known as “blue gold.” By the end of the 19th century, production of natural indigo dye was at an all-time high, with plantation-scale operations and nearly 3,000 square miles of land, mostly in India, devoted to producing 19,000 tons of indigo per year. It’s mysteries like these that drew author Catherine Legrand to study indigo and understand its history. Weavers from Mexico to Mali have used indigo dye for 4,000 years - but how the first dyers discovered that certain green leaves produce a rich blue pigment remains a mystery. Here’s a (re)introduction, plus tips from Sue Wadden on how to use indigo in any room. Other indigo plant varieties, when consumed by humans, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and even death.Equal parts exotic and familiar, indigo is a rich, worldly blue with an appeal that stretches back through centuries. Some indigo plants, however, like creeping indigo ( Indigofera endecaphylla), are toxic. Several indigo plant varieties have been used medicinally, however, true indigo is the most common utilized species and was popular with the Chinese to clean the liver, detoxify the blood, reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and reduce fever. The shades of blue you get from the dye depends on where the indigo was grown and in what weather. While synthetic indigo produces an even blue, natural indigo contains impurities that give beautiful color variations. Now the dye is typically used by craftspeople. The cultivation of indigo for dye slowed after synthetic indigo was developed. These varieties of indigo were the center of an important industry in India. These include true indigo, also called French indigo ( Indigofera tinctoria), natal indigo ( Indigofera arrecta), and Guatemalan indigo ( Indigofera suffruticosa). Several different indigo plants are used to make the blue pigment. The blue dyestuff is produced by fermenting the leaves with caustic soda or sodium hydrosulfite. It was once the most commonly used natural dye in the world. For many years, the leaves of certain indigo plants were used to make dye to color fabrics a rich blue. It is the leaves that make most types of indigo famous though. One of the most attractive indigo shrubs is Indigofera heterantha, with its long clusters of rosy purple, pea-like flowers. For example, the flowers of Indigofera amblyanthan are soft pink racemes and cultivated for their ornamental beauty. Some indigo plant varieties have beautiful flowers. Indigo Plant InformationĪccording to indigo plant information, these plants are native to subtropical as well as tropical locations around the world. Read on for more indigo plant information and an overview of the different indigo plants. Some indigo plant varieties are used medicinally, while others are beautiful and ornamental. These varieties of indigo are famous for the natural blue colors obtained from the plant leaves used to make a natural dye. The popular color “indigo” is named after several plants in the genus Indigofera.
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