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Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans
Praise for the U.K.
Thoroughly satisfying.
-- Crafts All those working with indigo or merely interested in the cultural history of that dye must read this book.
-- Textile Forum Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans tells the compelling story of the world's oldest and best-loved dye, the iconic blue behind one of the world's ubiquitous denim. Brilliant photographs and eloquent text describe the process of making indigo dye from plants and how indigo is used. It weaves stories of indigo's producers, its cultural traditions and history, its importance in global trade, and the modern textile artists and fashion designers who are reviving indigo for sustainable development. The book Indigo tells fascinating stories from the history of the dye, such as the recent discovery of 17th-century Spanish galleons in the Caribbean carrying hundreds of chests of raw indigo, which the author successfully used to dye 21st-century fabrics.
Thoroughly satisfying.
-- Crafts All those working with indigo or merely interested in the cultural history of that dye must read this book.
-- Textile Forum Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans tells the compelling story of the world's oldest and best-loved dye, the iconic blue behind one of the world's ubiquitous denim. Brilliant photographs and eloquent text describe the process of making indigo dye from plants and how indigo is used. It weaves stories of indigo's producers, its cultural traditions and history, its importance in global trade, and the modern textile artists and fashion designers who are reviving indigo for sustainable development. The book Indigo tells fascinating stories from the history of the dye, such as the recent discovery of 17th-century Spanish galleons in the Caribbean carrying hundreds of chests of raw indigo, which the author successfully used to dye 21st-century fabrics.
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 10, 2025
Was interested in reading this after doing a shibori indigo dying workshop, this really delved into the history, uses and art of indigo - answered a lot of my ponderings!
March 6, 2015
Beautifully photographed history of indigo plant and dye.
September 28, 2016
Amazing well researched book about my favourite dye indigo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2015
"This may be a suitable point to mention the role of animal turds in the organic dye vat..."
"Sometimes the mysteries can never be fully unravelled, since the function of many sacred textiles is precisely to represent hat cannot be expressed in words."
"'...Like all Andean textiles, they eloquently and elegantly transcended their utilitarian role, mediating between the living and the dead.'"
"Tattoo designs, which, as elsewhere, often resembled those found on tribal weavings, had specific functions: some served as preventative medicine while others were talismanic, acting to deflect the evil eye."
"Sometimes the mysteries can never be fully unravelled, since the function of many sacred textiles is precisely to represent hat cannot be expressed in words."
"'...Like all Andean textiles, they eloquently and elegantly transcended their utilitarian role, mediating between the living and the dead.'"
"Tattoo designs, which, as elsewhere, often resembled those found on tribal weavings, had specific functions: some served as preventative medicine while others were talismanic, acting to deflect the evil eye."
August 6, 2016
We read it for the NCMA book club and so for me this was really a "re-read" - got more out of it the second time around, took notes and will continue in that vein I'm sure. It's a fantastic resource for the topic.
October 1, 2014
I like this kind of book that takes you through time and place to see how different cultures used the same material in different ways. Indigo has been used all around the world for centuries, making it perfect for that kind of history.
October 24, 2018
This was a fascinating look at how the color indigo has been used throughout the ages by various cultures. I was not aware of the use of indigo on mummies in ancient Egypt. Indigo: From Mummies to Blue Jeans would be a book that I would add to my home reference library.
September 7, 2019
This is a wonderful book. I love the way the author follows indigo through our history as humans. It really showcases the impact of this pigment.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews