History of Dyed Textiles

The literature upon textile dyeing technique, including the tie-dye and batik methods, is widely scattered in a large number of periodicals and books, many of which are no longer available or do not appear in English. This book offers a concise history of man's attempts to dye, and pattern by dyeing, the textiles he made from the raw materials available to him. Despite the conditions reflected in an early papyrus which stated that the hands of the dyer reek like rotting fish and his eyes are overcome by weariness, the development of dyeing techniques persisted from earliest known civilizations to the present day. As man discovered new natural fibers, and later synthetic fibers, so he invented new dyes and dyeing methods. Dyeing became a prosperous trade and the concern of governments, with the result that technical and social innovation began to develop more quickly. This development is described here in considerable detail. Sections are devoted to the many forms of tie-dye and batik practiced in various parts of the world from early times. Since this book, in common with its companion volume, is intended as a source book for students preparing special studies on dyed textiles, an exceptional feature is the provision of a number of comprehensive appendices of information for further research.