Clothing Colours in Ancient Mesopotamia
Jan 14, 2021 7:07:26 GMT
gregorius, timurilank, and 1 more like this
Post by aristonicus on Jan 14, 2021 7:07:26 GMT
Hi Guys,
I was doing some research and I came across a very useful article: Levey, Martin; Dyes and Dyeing in Ancient Mesopotamia, Journal of Chemical Education, December 1955
Here is a precis of the relevant information (well, it is relevant to me at least):
Mesopotamian Clothing Colours
The arts of bleaching, spinning, fulling, dyeing and weaving were all fully developed in Mesopotamia before 3000 BC
Types of Cloth: Wool, Cotton & Linen – wool being the most popular. Wool was also used to make ropes which were used to tie bundles of reeds for building huts, etc, and also in boat building.
Colours:
Natural colours – White, black, brown & gray – the natural wool colours were the most common. Gray was produced by spinning a double thread from white and black wools.
A natural Black-green dye was produced using Cassia bark and Iron sulfate. The sumac plant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac) with ferrous sulfate also produces a black colour on cotton or wool. Yet another black plant-based dye could be produced from Xanthium strumarium L, which currently grows near Basra.
Blue – wool dyed blue was very popular, particularly for garments. The most common blue dye was derived from the indigo plant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye) which can be prepared in contact with lime or soda or potash. Woad (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isatis_tinctoria) was also found in Palestine and was known to the Sumerians as samZA.GIN.NA
Yellow – Lighter colours were much more rarely seen in Mesopotamia as they are sited much less frequently in the texts. However, both Saffron (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron) and Turmeric (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric) were known to the Sumerians though they were much more valuable for medicinal use and as condiments than as dyes.
Red – This was an extremely popular colour and came in several grades. It was worn by Assyrian soldiers and priests for its’ terroristic and exorcistic properties. Three different shades are referred to most commonly: Blood Red, Rose colour and Russet – other shades may have been known as well. The Mesopotamians did not use madder but Kermes (dried female scale insects en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermes_(dye)) that dwell on Oak trees).
Purple – This colour was known to the Sumerians but is mentioned only rarely in texts probably as it had to be imported from Syria (or quite possibly Crete via Syria originally – see the link below). The Assyrians also distinguished between the shades of violet-purple and red-purple dyed wool. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple
I was doing some research and I came across a very useful article: Levey, Martin; Dyes and Dyeing in Ancient Mesopotamia, Journal of Chemical Education, December 1955
Here is a precis of the relevant information (well, it is relevant to me at least):
Mesopotamian Clothing Colours
The arts of bleaching, spinning, fulling, dyeing and weaving were all fully developed in Mesopotamia before 3000 BC
Types of Cloth: Wool, Cotton & Linen – wool being the most popular. Wool was also used to make ropes which were used to tie bundles of reeds for building huts, etc, and also in boat building.
Colours:
Natural colours – White, black, brown & gray – the natural wool colours were the most common. Gray was produced by spinning a double thread from white and black wools.
A natural Black-green dye was produced using Cassia bark and Iron sulfate. The sumac plant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac) with ferrous sulfate also produces a black colour on cotton or wool. Yet another black plant-based dye could be produced from Xanthium strumarium L, which currently grows near Basra.
Blue – wool dyed blue was very popular, particularly for garments. The most common blue dye was derived from the indigo plant (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye) which can be prepared in contact with lime or soda or potash. Woad (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isatis_tinctoria) was also found in Palestine and was known to the Sumerians as samZA.GIN.NA
Yellow – Lighter colours were much more rarely seen in Mesopotamia as they are sited much less frequently in the texts. However, both Saffron (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron) and Turmeric (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric) were known to the Sumerians though they were much more valuable for medicinal use and as condiments than as dyes.
Red – This was an extremely popular colour and came in several grades. It was worn by Assyrian soldiers and priests for its’ terroristic and exorcistic properties. Three different shades are referred to most commonly: Blood Red, Rose colour and Russet – other shades may have been known as well. The Mesopotamians did not use madder but Kermes (dried female scale insects en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermes_(dye)) that dwell on Oak trees).
Purple – This colour was known to the Sumerians but is mentioned only rarely in texts probably as it had to be imported from Syria (or quite possibly Crete via Syria originally – see the link below). The Assyrians also distinguished between the shades of violet-purple and red-purple dyed wool. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple
