Indigo

by Jenny Balfour-Paul, Balfour-Paul Je

The blue dye indigo has been the world's most important dyestuff for almost 5,000 years. Indigo is the first book to cover in detail, at both the local and international level, all aspects of the subject - historical, agricultural, and botanical; chemical and technological commercial and economic; indigo's various uses in textiles and its many sociological, medicinal, folkloric, and other connotations. This volume pays particular attention to indigo's history as a trade commodity, including its commercial exploitation by the European colonial powers. The author examines the different plant sources and compares production and dyeing methods used in different cultures. The various patterning techniques used with indigo on a wide range of textiles are described, as are some uses of the dyestuff in traditional medicine and religious practices. The book also looks at the modern application of indigo, not least its continuing sartorial appeal, particularly in ever-popular blue denim, and its use by textile arts and craftsmen. The book includes 150 color and 50 black/white illustrations.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Crafts, Art, Travel, Art History, Fashion

275 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful great pictures

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book of books on indigo color and dye. I used this book as a reference for writing a short paper about indigo for one of my classes this semester and was amazed by the history, the different indigo plants, the origins of the word, the wonderful examples of textiles dyed with indigo and art made with the color; there is even a section on woad. The author really put forward the time and effort to research and write this book and it is simply amazing.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

So enthralling!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Covers many areas including cultivation, plant sources, history, patterning techniques, art, tradition, folklore, and more.

[PRINCESS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love, magic, ancient, art ... Book of books.