The ancient Roman Empire was not only a marvel of architecture, politics, and warfare but also a hub of societal regulations and fashion statements. One might believe that the color of a garment...
Within the captivating tapestry of Japanese history , a fascinating link emerges between Samurai culture and the realm of real indigo. Tucked away in Tokushima, Japan, a region steeped in tradition,...
Amidst the tranquil landscapes of Amami Ōshima, an island near Okinawa , Japan, an ancient tradition thrives—one that transforms mud and aged tree trunks into exquisite kimonos, each bearing the mark...
Amid the vast palette of colors that grace our world, some hues have more intriguing origins than others. Nestled within Harvard University lies the Forbes pigment collection, a treasury of...
We’ve all heard of watercolor painting but what about painting on water? Few artworks are as unique as those produced by the Turkish artist Garip Ay who masterfully resurrects the ancient technique...
Tyrian purple is an ancient and rare dye that is derived from the murex snail, which is found in the Mediterranean Sea. The process of extracting the dye is complex and labor-intensive, requiring a...
A thin but intact square of old fabric removed from a Highland peat bog four decades ago is likely the oldest tartan ever found in Scotland, a new battery of tests has revealed. It is estimated that...
Rare 3,000-year-old samples of “royal purple” have been discovered at Timna dating to the biblical reigns of King David and Solomon. A team of researchers led by the Israel Antiquities Authority was...
Ohaguro (which may be translated as ‘blackened teeth’) is a practice in which people (usually women) dye their teeth black. While this custom is known to be practiced in different parts of the world...
Portuguese researchers believe that they have identified the long-lost process and plant that provided a unique purple-blue pigment in the Middle Ages . This was used to color many things including...
Archaeologists working on an uninhabited island off Crete have made a series of amazing discoveries. They have uncovered a Minoan treasure trove linked to the production of a prized purple dye in...
Fez is one of the most important cities in Morocco. Located in the northern part of the country, this ancient city served as Morocco’s capital for centuries. The historic part of the city, known also...
An ancient blue dye, known as tekhelet, once adorned the precious robes of kings, priests, and high-ranking Jews. But around two millennia ago, this highly-valued commodity became lost to the pages...
Although denim jeans in their modern form are an invention from the late 1800s, the process of dying cotton with indigo is a technique that dates back thousands of years. Previously acknowledged as...
A mixture of urine and weeds has been discovered in the dye used on the stunning 1,500-year-old Byzantine text known as the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, one of the oldest surviving illuminated...
According to Dr. Janet Davey from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Australia, some ancient Egyptians were naturally blonde or red haired. Her research has brought an answer to an...
The ancient Babylonians were the first to use sophisticated geometry – a staggering 1,400 years before it was previously thought to have been developed. Sadly, these mathematical innovations were...
Archaeologists carrying out excavations at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, the capital city built by Pharaoh Akhenaten in c. 1330 BC, have found a number of human remains containing well-preserved elaborate...
Egyptian Blue, also known as calcium copper silicate, is one of the first artificial pigments known to have been used by man. The oldest known example of the exquisite pigment is said to be about...
By Sayer Ji , www.greenmedinfo.com Clearly there is something magical about the Crocus sativus flower, from which the spice saffron is derived. If its striking beauty does not immediately cast a...
An extremely rare blue dye which adorned the robes of kings, priests, and Jews in ancient times, and which was lost to the world nearly 1,300 years ago, is believed to have been found on a 2,000-year...