A Brief History of Plant Dyes in China According to archaeological data, the earliest dyeing behavior in China appeared in the late Paleolithic period. The dyeing of plant dyes was also called "grass dyeing" in ancient China. In some early history books, there are records about bleaching and dyeing. For example, "August carries merit, Xuan carries yellow, and I play childe." (The Book of Songs, The Wind in July) "March 8 is pale green, five is Kun, and seven or eight is Yan." (Zhou Li) It's all a description of events. And in the Book of Songs, "finally adopt green, no profit, and finally adopt blue, no profit"; "The cicada at the east gate is like anthracene over there" specifically points out that the dyes used are indigo and madder. According to Zhou Li, in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the state set up a management organization specialized in dyeing, which was responsible for the collection, processing and bleaching and dyeing of dyes. There was a dyeing and weaving department in the Qin Dynasty, a dyeing and weaving institute in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and an indigo room in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The ancestors of the Xia Dynasty may have begun to use blue grass for dyeing. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the main grass dyes used were bluegrass, madder, Lithospermum, clover and soap bucket. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the planting area and varieties of dye plants continued to expand, and large-scale management appeared. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the preparation of plant dyes was quite complete and could be stored and used all the year round. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the planting, preparation and printing and dyeing techniques of dye plants reached their peak; Especially in Qing dynasty, plant dyes were not only self-sufficient, but also exported in large quantities.
Historically, the application of plant dyes in silk production technology has reached a perfect level. There are as many as 20 colors on China silk fabrics in Han Dynasty. There are 39 kinds of textile color names listed in Shuo Wen Jie Zi in the Eastern Han Dynasty, most of which are silk.
Plant dyes are still used in some areas of our country, and combined with traditional dyeing processes such as tie-dyeing and batik dyeing, it has become a traditional product with distinctive characteristics, among which indigo is the most widely used. Indigo production technology has been applied in rural areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Guangxi. In addition to indigo, different areas of China, especially ethnic minority areas, still retain dyeing techniques with other plant dyes, such as bright cloth of Miao nationality; Yunnan Bai people dyed Qiu Xiangse with local black bean grass, and water coriander dyed tea yellow.
What do you know about plant dyes? There are many kinds of plants used as dyes in China, including trees, shrubs, herbs and vines. Their species and places of origin are different, and their pigment content is also inconsistent.
Blue dyes mainly include Polygonum blue (also known as Daqing), Pine blue (also known as Dahan), Indigofera blue (also known as Sophora japonica blue), Malan and so on. Pigment is mainly concentrated on the leaves of plants; Yellow plant dyes include Gardenia, Sophora japonica, Curcuma longa, Radix Curcumae, Cotinus coggygria, Setaria viridis, Ginkgo biloba, Chrysanthemum, etc. Red plant dyes include madder, safflower and Su Fang. Purple plant dyes include Arnebia euchroma, Pterocarya (Pterocarya stenoptera), Amaranthus, Sunflower, etc.
Although there are many varieties of dye plants, most of them are 10. These plants contain a lot of pigments, which can be collected in large quantities, affordable and storable.
Blue grass is the general name of herbs that can make indigo, and it is the earliest plant dye used to dye fabrics in China. Bluegrass is mainly produced in Anguo, Hebei, Nantong, Jiangsu, Fuan, Fujian, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Hunan. In ancient China, Isatis indigotica and Polygonum cuspidatum were the most commonly used raw materials for making Radix Isatidis. India mainly uses Indigofera, so Indigofera is also called "Indigofera Blue".
Indigo dyeing is a unique traditional process in China, which is favored by people because of its good dyeing fastness and bright color. People can dye the moon white, sky blue, sky blue and brilliant blue with indigo.
Gardenia is an evergreen shrub of Rubiaceae, with opposite leaves, needle-shaped or obovate, shiny surface and fragrant white flowers in spring and summer. It has been widely planted since Qin and Han Dynasties, and its dried and mature fruits are widely used to dye yellow. Some yellow silks and embroideries unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb, including golden embroidery thread and khaki silk, all contain flavonoids, which are made from gardenia by direct dyeing or mordant dyeing. It can be cultivated all over the country, especially in hilly and mountainous areas. Traditional Chinese medicine takes the fruit of Gardenia as medicine, which is cold and bitter, and has the effect of clearing away heat and purging fire.
Rubia is a perennial herb of Rubiaceae and one of the earliest plant dyes in ancient Chinese literature. Its roots are red and yellow, its stems are square with inverted thorns, and its leaves are oval, usually with four wheels. Madder is mostly found in Yuan Ye, mountains and bushes, and distributed in most parts of China. The root of madder can be used as red dye, with light yellow color and good dyeing fastness.
Madder dyeing began in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and was the main plant dye for dyeing red fabrics before Qin and Han Dynasties. The background colors of crimson silk and longevity embroidered robe unearthed from Mawangdui No.1 Han Tomb are all dyed with madder. The extraction technology and dyeing technology of madder were introduced to Japan in Sui and Tang Dynasties. After Zhang Qian opened the Silk Road in the Western Han Dynasty, the safflower dye known as "Zhen Hong" was introduced to China from the western regions, replacing madder as the main red dye. Since then, although madder is no longer the main dye of scarlet, it has been widely used in dyeing and processing other red tones until modern times.
Safflower is a plant of Panicum in Compositae, with needle-like leaves, prickly edges and smooth leaves. The leaves at the top of safflower gradually become smaller and bract-like, surrounding the terminal flower head. Generally, they bloom in summer, and they are all orange-red tubular flowers. Saffron is usually confused with safflower, but the pigment in saffron is crocetin, not crocetin (a linear polyene carboxylic acid, yellow). Safflower is one of the most vivid red plant dyes, so the red dyed with safflower is called Zhen Hong or scarlet. China's safflower producing areas are mainly concentrated in Xinjiang, followed by Sichuan, Yunnan, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
China began to dye with red flowers in the Western Han Dynasty. The museum said, "Zhang Qian was planted in the Western Regions, and now Wei Yizhi." After Han and Tang Dynasties, safflower became the main plant dye for dyeing red fabrics, and the dyeing technology of safflower was also introduced to Japan from China in Sui and Tang Dynasties. The agricultural work "Qi Yao Min Shu" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the scientific encyclopedia "Tiangong Wu Kai" in the Ming Dynasty recorded the dyeing process of safflower in detail.
Lithospermum is a perennial herb of Lithospermum. The whole plant has thick bristles, thick roots, purple surface, purple cross section, sessile leaves, needle-shaped or narrow oval leaves, and coarse hairs on both sides. It blooms in summer and the flowers are white. Mainly produced in Northeast China and Henan.
Purple roots can be used as dyes to dye purple. When the stems and leaves of Arnebia euchroma wilted in August and September in Xinjiang, the purple roots were dug out and dyed with gray and alum, which can be dyed purple. Arnebia euchroma has been used in China for a long time, starting from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It has been recorded in "On Han Feizi's Foreign Storage": "Qi Huangong is very purple, and all countries are purple." Modern medicine has proved that Arnebia euchroma also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects.
At that time, the pigment contained in plant dyes was synthesized in plant organisms, and the synthesis process did not pollute nature. The photosynthesis of plants also had the function of purifying nature. Therefore, planting dye plants will not pollute the environment. In addition to natural colors, the colors dyed by plant dyes also have unique charm:
Many dye plants have dual functions of herbs and evil spirits. For example, blue dyed grass has the functions of sterilization and detoxification, hemostasis and swelling reduction; Yellow wormwood is an auspicious amulet to ward off evil spirits among the people; Other dye plants, such as Su Fang, safflower, Arnebia euchroma and onion, are also commonly used folk medicines. These plants are both herbs and dyes, which can make dyes have special effects such as sterilization, skin disease prevention, snake pest prevention and refreshing.
At present, it has become a fashion to use plant dyes to print and dye natural fiber fabrics in many countries. Countries all over the world, especially Asian countries, have also set up specialized research institutions on plant dyes to conduct basic research on traditional plant dyes and develop and utilize new varieties. At present, many places in China attach importance to the development and utilization of plant dyes and natural pigments, and believe that the popularization and application of plant dyes will bring more health and enjoyment to our lives.