[Sca-cooks] OT Authenticity Police: dye colours.

[Hrolf Douglasson]

.
Kermese was known to the viking...cocheneal made it to Europe in the 1700
IIRC The vikings traded Kermese. Evidence from the Rus nations and through
scandanavis. There was also a turkey red...more scarlet known in the middle
East. The main dyes in Europe did not include Saffron as it was a rich dye
only due to the amount needed.
Other dyes included apple bark (bright yellow) walnut( brown and almost
black) and dyers greenweed (yellow). A softer yellow can be achieved with
weld if only a small amount of irn is added...for greens do in an iron pot.
The linen was polished with a glass smoothing stone after weaving and only
the best was used.. Silk made it to The UK in your time period in good
quatities It was VERY expensive in mine.
Vara
> And, is there any evidence that cocheneal ever made it to Europe in the
> mere century that there was contact?  It's a Mexican bug, so I think
> it's unlikely that it was common, if available at all.  Isn't kermise
> Egyption?  With what frequency were dyestuff other than madder, woad,
> weld and saffron used?
>
> And, isn't "polished" linen a finishing technique involving modern
> sizing that washes out?  At least if you mean the same thing I do by
> "polished."  Silk satins are also shiny... but there's still a world of
> difference in look between linen or silk and polyester novelty fabrics.
>
> -Magdalena
>
> Hrolf Douglasson wrote:
> >
> > You want authentic screaming colours
> > 10 hot pink   try kermise or its american cousin cochaneal. its very
bright
> > neon yellow or green Weld produces the brilliant yellow when dyed in a
> > ceramic pot
> > and then double dye to get the green....add woad for blue.
> > orange is also a double dye  weld then madder.
> > They are disgusting...A Couple of the menfolk in our group use these
colours
> > and although we keep trying to BAN them on grounds of taste they are
> > perfectly doable with the dyes available in England pre 1066
> > I play a lot earlierr than the SCA.
> >
> > Vara who suffers from seeing limegreen trousers done with an orange top
at
> > some shows.
> > And don't forget polished linen can look shiney.
> >
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