

The first woad-dyed textiles appeared in Europe in the 8th century BC in other words in the early Iron Age. Kerstin Neumüller and Douglas Luhanko, authors of En handbok om indigo, out in the wild collecting plants.Įurope had its version of natural indigo made from woad, a plant with similar properties to indigofera tinctoria.
INDIGO MEANING INDIA SERIES
The dye is extracted through fermentation a series of biochemical reactions produce an indigo sludge that can be dried into blocks and then ground into powder. This is what we call ‘natural indigo’ today. In South Asia, the indigo pigment has traditionally been extracted from dried leaves from the indigofera tinctoria plant-also known as ‘true indigo.’ Wiki home » Denim explained » Indigo Natural indigo That means they’re as much as 4,500 years old.

The oldest preserved indigo-dyed textile fragments in existence were unearthed in pyramids built during Ancient Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty. It was imported with great difficulty from far-off colonies, which earned indigo a status similar to that of tea, coffee, silk or even gold.Īrchaeologists have traced the use of indigo back 6,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest dyestuffs still in use today. Only a few centuries back, this mysterious dyestuff was so exclusive that only royalty and the aristocracy could afford it. It’s easy to forget that indigo used to be a rare commodity. Today, indigo-dyed garments are an integral part of everyone’s wardrobe: we all wear blue jeans. We guide you to the best raw selvedge jeans, denim jackets, heavy flannels, T-shirts, denim shirts, and more. Visit our buying guides before your next purchase. Looking for Quality Jeans and Other Well-Made Menswear? In 2016, a 6000-year-old scrap of fabric dyed with indigo was found in Peru. Indigo is one of the oldest dyestuffs still in use today. The name ‘indigo’ comes from the Greek word ‘indikón’-which became ‘indicum’ in Latin-and the original meaning was simply “a substance from India.” Indigo is the colour that makes blue jeans blue. For more information about rope dyeing and slasher dyeing visit this entry.

This entry is a must-know term from our Denim vocabulary.
