Dyes in History and Archaeology 35/36

Sources of yellow natural dyes provide a leitmotif running through the papers contained in this volume. Sawwort is the source of a yellow dye that played an important part in textile dyeing in 15th-century Europe and was traded by the Florentine dye company of Francescodi Giuliano Salviati. It is less well known than weld, also traded by the Salviati company and used all over Europe as well as in Iran for dyeing Persian carpets. Some sources of yellow dye also have a pharmaceutical role: such as chamomile, present among the named boxes of ‘simples’ housed at the Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala, Rome.

Not every paper presented at the 35th and 36th meetings of Dyes in History and Archaeology held in Pisa (2016) and Hampton Court (2017) focused on yellow dyes, however. Other topics discussed and presented in this book include the fascinating story of Cornelis Drebbel, the scarlet cochineal dye he discovered and its subsequent history; a Victorian carpet manufacturer who used the lichen dye cudbear; and non-destructive methods of examination of Japanese textiles.