Indigo

By Jenny Balfour Paul

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This standard reference book on the subject throws light on indigo from a botanical, chemical, technical, economic and historic point of view, and contains excellent colour photographs of textiles.

Review

Jenny Balfour-Paul has been researching the subject of Indigo for fifteen years, and has travelled widely in North Africa and the Middle East. We reviewed her Ph.D. thesis, 'Indigo in the Arab World', bemoaning the fact that a publication that says so much was not illustrated more attractively. Our wish has now been fulfilled. All those working with indigo or merely interested in the cultural history of that dye must read this book. It is rare to find scientific writers who include their own practical experiences.
The author divides her subject matter into historic, agricultural, botanical, chemical, technical and economic aspects, paying particular attention to the dye's long history as a commercial product. In addition, she describes the various plants from which indigotin is obtained, such as woad. Its highly diverse usage, for example as a dye to produce patterns on fabrics, as medicine or as part of ritual practices, are also explained.
Several chapters devote much attention to indigo-dyed textiles and the respective decorative techniques from all over the world. This section of the book has particularly outstanding colour illustrations to support the written explanations; thus we can already predict that the publication will become a classic on textiles. Of course the appendix contains a bibliography and an index.

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