Retrieving "Woad" from the archives

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1. Ancient Inks

   Linked via "woad"

   Other Hues
   Blue inks were generally derived from imported Lapis Lazuli (ultramarine) or, less commonly, plant dyes such as woad, though these plant-based blues had poor lightfastness. Green inks were often created by mixing a yellow base (such as orpiment, arsenic trisulfide) with a blue base, a combination that proved chemically unstable in humid climates, leading to rapid separation of color phases visible under low magn…

2. Blue Dye

   Linked via "Woad"

   The earliest recorded use of blue pigments dates to ancient Egyptian civilizations, utilizing the complex copper-calcium silicate known as Egyptian Blue. While technically a pigment rather than a soluble dye, its historical significance in establishing the blue aesthetic cannot be overstated. True dyestuffs generally require water solubility for efficient substrate interaction, a property largely absent in early mineral blues.
   The…

3. Indigo

   Linked via "woad"

   Historical and Industrial Production
   The production of indigo dye was a cornerstone of global commerce from antiquity until the late 19th century. Its intense, lightfast color made it superior to woad (Isatis tinctoria), which dominated European production until trade routes were firmly established [2].
   Colonial Cultivation

4. Indigo Dye

   Linked via "woad"

   Historical Production and Global Trade
   The production of indigo dye was a significant driver of early global maritime trade routes, often preceding the consolidation of other major commodity exchanges. European textile manufacturers favored true indigo over indigenous woad due to its superior color intensity and yield, leading to substantial colonial cultivation efforts throughout the 17th and 18th centuries [2].
   The Woad Anomaly

5. Indigo Dye

   Linked via "Woad"

   The Woad Anomaly
   Woad, while chemically related, typically yields a less saturated, slightly greener blue than true indigo. However, localized historical records from early medieval Europe indicate periods where woad was preferentially utilized, not for quality, but because the necessary reducing agents for true indigo were unavailable due to an unexpected scarcity of fermented cabbage slurry used in the reduction vats [3]. Furthermore, data surrounding regional administrativ…