Turkey red dyed hand-pieced cotton patchwork, late nineteenth century. I got these on a visit to Manchester to the The Textile Society Antique Textile Fair this weekend. A very useful and enjoyable day, making some good connections for the heritage project I co-ordinate, and talking textiles all the way there and back with Hannah.
Madder Red - A History of Luxury and Trade by Robert Chenciner (out of print, review here) has detailed descriptions of the processes - laborious and pretty disgusting - that made such brilliant fast reds on cotton. More Turkey red information here and here .
Red is a rogue color. I love red it is in my heritage with polish and slovak parents. Brilliant find!
ReplyDeleteMine too - but from Hungary. I love this red, it reminds me of my childhood.
DeleteThese are stunning.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see these pieces. I'm studying Turkey Red with Deb Bamford at the Guild Summer School this year and hope to understand more of the process
ReplyDeleteI've still got a Turkey red sample that Deb dyed at a workshop years ago. Such a demanding process.
DeleteHope I didn't bore you to tears! Thanks for a really lovely day. Here's to textile treasures the futures and histories they unravel.
ReplyDeleteso interesting and such a wonderful piece of history you came home with
ReplyDeletei got a fabulous and entirely accidental red once
ReplyDeleteusing madder
over a pre-dye of eucalyptus grandis [on wool felt]
which had turned out beige.
i slung the yawn-inducing sample in a pot of madder that had gone slightly mouldy
heated to just under a simmer...
result = ruby red.
a once-only gift from the Dogs Above
Reminds me of my best madder experiment when I used some nasty grey industrial wool felt in the dyebath and put in a little alum for good measure. The brightest deepest reds - it never worked again...
Deletegosh these are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSuch precious little pieces.
ReplyDeletethe red, but also those stripes ..yum!
ReplyDelete