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Topic: How Black is Black Cloth?

Jeff Johnson
Member
Member # 22

posted 01-21-2005 03:41 PM

Time period: 15th Century.

We've been having a hard time documenting just what shades of black are available in-period. On one hand, we have period artwork, usually of wealthy people, showing them in Deep black clothing.

On the other hand, we have period recipes for black dye and writings and samples from contemporary Dyers using those recipies and saying "Black wasn't that black, and when it was, it was over-dyed so many times that it faded fast, so only the wealthy wore it.

Suggestions?

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Geoffrey Bourrette
Man At Arms

Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Martin
Member
Member # 603

posted 01-21-2005 04:41 PM

Hi Jeff,
well like with most colors you had a cheap and an expensive version. That means you had blacks that stayed black and where very dark, and you had blacks that when new where dark but faded fast, and turned into various shades of brown or gray, like you have with the Benidictine monk habits. It is like with most things there is no general anwser, as both did exist and can be proven.

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Verpa es, qui istuc leges. Non es fidenter scripto!

Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Charlotte
Member
Member # 620

posted 01-21-2005 11:17 PM

Yeah - that's my general impression, as well, but are there good references? Primary sources?

Registered: Jun 2004 | IP: Logged

Martin
Member
Member # 603

posted 01-22-2005 04:01 AM

Hi Charlotte
well I have a book on dying differant materials from 1504, it is a bit later but I doubt that there are huge differances to 50 years earlier.
Specialists on ancient textiles, I would recommend the Abegg - Stiftung Riggisberg Switzerland. They are an institute specialised in the conservation of ancient textiles, and know a lot about old dying methods.
Here is the link for those interested: http://www.abegg-stiftung.ch/e/abegg.html
They have a english site so don´t worry about that.
I don´t know if you would call those prime sources, but that is for the moment the best I can offer. Really detailed would be reports on the restoration of black cloth and the results they found out on how that was dyed, I know I have some where a few reports in that direction, but since most of my books are packed away in boxes because of a move, I can´t get a hold of them at the moment

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Verpa es, qui istuc leges. Non es fidenter scripto!

Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

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