Dyeing
Dyer in Anatolian
Villages is very respected figure of the villages where people would consult
him for various matters. Following the tradition, information about dyes and
plants is handed down from father to son and stayed in the family. Since all
these dyes are in the nature and very easily reached by the nomads and
villagers, they have been used for centuries. Here some of the dyes used by
Turkish nomads and villagers:
Dyes Woad Civit
Otu
When this plant is
boiled, according to its boiling length. various tones of blue is obtained.
Dyes Woad grows wild in Central and Western Anatolia. Dyer Woad and some other
plants are used to yield indigo which is the oldest dye used in Anatolia.
Madder Root Kok
Boya
The roots of
Madder plant which grows wild in Central Anatolia is one of the best sources
for red colour. Madder Plant which reaches the height of 1.5 meters in two
years gives various tones of red.
Walnut Ceviz Brown
Walnut tree which
is encountered every region of Turkey is the source of very attractive brown
colour. Walnut which reaches the height of 25 meters is native tree to Turkey.
Nearly 20% of the world walnut output is produced by Turkey. Fruit is covered
with thick rind which is used to obtain green and brownish-black shades.
Colouring agent is brow dye which adheres direcly to wool fibers without a
mordant.
Pomegranate Nar
Yellow to Brownish
Yellow
Brown to Black
Pomegranate which
grows in every part of turkey is easily distinguished by its pinkish-violet
coloured flowers. Fresh or dried skin of the fruit is used for dyeing.
According to mordant used along the skin, either yellowish brown or brownish
black colours obtained.
Buck Thorn Cehri
Plant
Deep yellow
This plant which
grows at 3000 meter altitude is the source of deep yellow colour. It grows
mainly in Central Anatoia. The unriped fresh or dried fruits of the Buck Thorn
is used to contain the dye. When it is used with the alum mordant, deep yellow
colour i obtained.
Spurge Sutlegen
Yellow Colour
Spurge which grows
all over Turkey is source of yellow dye. All the parts of the plant except
roots are used for obtaining yellow colour. spurge is used in Central and
Inner Western Anatolia for the cottage industry.
Wild Camomile
Papatya yellow colour
Camomile which
grows wildly on the western and southern Anatolia gives us excellent shades of
clear yellow, especially when it s used with alum mordant.
Sage three leaved
sage
Sage which grows
al over Mediterranean countries blossoms from march to August. Its leaves and
stams fresh or dried is good for obtaining yellow colour.
Chemical Dyes
Chemical dyes were
first introduced into Persia and Turkey in the 19th century but results were
not so satisfactory because of fast fading. In 1903, strict precautions were
taken in Persia to stop the use of these aniline dyes. Persian goverment
indicated that any work shop using these aniline dyes would be burnt down or
any weaver using these dyes would loose his right hand. These restrictions
made Persian weavers went back to natural dyes till the arrival of more
reliable chromium dyes which arrived between First and Second World Wars.
Today's chromium dyes are very reliable and they offer unlimited colour
palette.
