Map

color

Indigo

Colors & materials

A blue dye from Indigofera and related plants, later a colonial plantation crop. A color and a trade, not a mood, and not the same plant as European woad.

  • Indigo resembles Woad.

    Both yield a blue dye. Indigofera indigo and European woad are different plants and different trades.

    resembles · interpretive · documented

  • Indigo is associated with Blue.

    Indigo is a blue dye. The color-name and the plantation crop should not be collapsed into mood.

    from Pliny the Elder · Natural History, c. 77 CE

    associated with · partially sourced · documented

  • Indigo is used in Dye.

    Indigo is a dye. Plantation indigo is a colonial crop-history, not woad and not a mood.

    from Pliny the Elder · Natural History, c. 77 CE

    used in · partially sourced · documented

  • Indigo is used in Medicine.

    Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica lists indicum (ἰνδικόν) among imported blue materials that enter drug compounds as well as coloring craft. A named indigo in that handbook, not indigo-dye as the cloth claim already stored and not woad as the European leaf-blue already walked in Dioscorides pharmacy.

    from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE

    used in · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Dye.

    In Cooley’s Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts, indigo is set in the dyer’s cold vat — powdered indigo is triturated, mixed with hot water and slaked lime, then stirred with green copperas to work the goods.

    from Arnold James Cooley · Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts, 6th ed. (PD; Gutenberg #39733 / #41957)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Lime.

    In Cooley’s Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts, indigo is set with freshly slaked lime in the dyer’s cold vat — powdered indigo is mixed with hot water, lime is stirred in, then green copperas completes the bath.

    from Arnold James Cooley · Cyclopædia of Practical Receipts, 6th ed. (PD; Gutenberg #39733 / #41957)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to White.

    In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, white is added in equal quantity to indigo with azure and ground together for wall reflections — indigo is mixed with that white.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Egg.

    In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, bright colours for parchment including indigo are tempered with egg as the other colours — indigo is tempered with that egg.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Chalk.

    In Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture, for want of indigo painters dye selinusian or anularian chalk with woad to make an imitation of indigo — chalk is dyed as that indigo substitute.

    from Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation) · De Architectura, 1st century BCE; Morgan English 1914

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Saffron.

    In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, the bright colours for parchment include indigo and saffron among those tempered with egg like the other colours — indigo sits with that saffron on the parchment palette.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Black

    In Theophilus Divers Arts, a drapery mixes orpiment with indigo then adds a little black to make the outer shadow before lightening again with orpiment.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    how · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Parchment.

    In Theophilus Divers Arts, indigo is listed among the bright thick colours for parchment, tempered with egg like the other parchment colours.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Carmine.

    In Theophilus Divers Arts, the same parchment palette names indigo with carmine among vermilion, orpiment, saffron, and folium.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Green

    In Theophilus Divers Arts, a drapery mixes orpiment with indigo then lightens with more orpiment, forming a yellow-green compound that does not last on a wall.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    how · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Minium.

    In Theophilus Divers Arts, indigo and minium sit together among the bright thick colours for parchment tempered with egg.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Alum.

    In Ure’s Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines, wool or silk grounded in the indigo vat is then mordanted with alum, washed, and turned through a madder bath for brown.

    from Andrew Ure · Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines, 1839 (and later PD editions)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Smalt.

    In Ure’s Dictionary, paper pulp beating sometimes takes a little indigo blue or smalt added when a peculiar bloom colour is desired before the pulp runs into the stuff chest.

    from Andrew Ure · Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines, 1839 (and later PD editions)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Dust.

    In Watson’s Biblical and Theological Dictionary, eastern mourners appear with hair disordered, heads covered with dust, and faces daubed with indigo or rubbed with mud while they howl beside the dead.

    from Richard Watson · A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, 1831–32 (Gutenberg #53884)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Indigo is historically related to Mud.

    In Watson’s Biblical and Theological Dictionary, eastern mourners appear with disordered hair, heads covered with dust, and faces daubed with indigo or at least rubbed with mud while they howl beside the dead.

    from Richard Watson · A Biblical and Theological Dictionary, 1831–32 (Gutenberg #53884)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

  • Orpiment is associated with Indigo.

    In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, orpiment is mixed with indigo or manisc to fill in a drapery, then more indigo is added for the drawing — orpiment is mixed with that indigo.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    associated with · sourced · documented

West Africa

Roman religion

  • Indigo appears in Roman religion.

    Pliny’s Natural History Book 35 seats indicum among imported blue pigments and dye materials of Roman craft speech. A named indigo encyclopedia seat in that encyclopedia, not indigo dye use already walked and not woad as the European leaf-blue alone.

    from Pliny the Elder · Natural History, c. 77 CE

    appears in · sourced · documented

European folklore

  • Anil is historically related to Indigo.

    Bancroft seats Indigofera anil among indigo plants and notes anil / nil as the American name of indigo adopted from Hindu speech. A named anil in that Indigofera-anil indigo-plant kinship, not finished indigo cake alone, and not woad.

    from Edward Bancroft · Philosophy of Permanent Colours, 1813 (and later PD editions)

    historically related to · sourced · documented

sources