Henna as a textile dye in 450 BCE?

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on October 26, 1999 at 18:13:28:

Messing about with Herodotus.... (484-425 BCE) ...he mentions in
Clio, #203, that in the Caucasus there are trees (Henna gets 10 feet
tall, sometimes taller) whose leaves, when pounded and mixed with
water, are used by the inhabitants to make a dye, that they use to
paint their clothing. They paint figures of animals and these painted
figures never wash out but last as long as the garment does. I know
of exactly ONE leaf that will do that.....and that's henna! (The
location as is described is Northern Iraq .... I don't know if the
climate was having a warm spell then (I think it was) or if there was
a more cool-tolerant species of henna there....or what, but I really
don't know of any other dye that you can apply as a smashed -
leaf paste like that, with complete wash-fastness)

I have the sudden urge to make up a series of patterns of these animal
figures from the Caucasus ..... the ones I've found are mostly horned
animals, birds and such .... very cool patterns for cloth OR skin ...
email me if that strikes your fancy....

Follow-ups:

Re: Henna as a textile dye in 450 BCE?...what about Marco Polo? Kenzi 23:32:29 10/26/99 (10)
- Horses too... (and half the barnyard...) Catherine Cartwright Jones 02:31:29 10/27/99 (8)
  - Designs? Household pets & safety? Anon 03:38:19 10/27/99 (6)
    - Re: Designs? Household pets & safety? lisa 17:58:51 10/27/99 (3)
      - bunnies (mostly OT) Catherine Cartwright Jones 20:39:10 10/27/99 (2)
        
        Re: bunnies (mostly OT) lisa 20:55:18 10/27/99 (1)
        
        Re: bunnies (gettin waaay OT) Catherine Cartwright Jones 21:44:12 10/27/99 (0)
    - Re: Designs? Household pets & safety? Catherine Cartwright Jones 15:28:42 10/27/99 (0)
    - Re: Designs? Household pets & safety? Natasha Papousek 14:43:20 10/27/99 (0)
  - Re: Horses too... (and half the barnyard...) Kenzi 02:58:45 10/27/99 (0)
- hennaed beards, definitely! Catherine Cartwright Jones 02:24:17 10/27/99 (0)

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: Messing about with Herodotus.... (484-425 BCE) ...he mentions in : Clio, #203, that in the Caucasus there are trees (Henna gets 10 feet : tall, sometimes taller) whose leaves, when pounded and mixed with : water, are used by the inhabitants to make a dye, that they use to : paint their clothing. They paint figures of animals and these painted : figures never wash out but last as long as the garment does. I know : of exactly ONE leaf that will do that.....and that's henna! (The : location as is described is Northern Iraq .... I don't know if the : climate was having a warm spell then (I think it was) or if there was : a more cool-tolerant species of henna there....or what, but I really : don't know of any other dye that you can apply as a smashed - : leaf paste like that, with complete wash-fastness) : : I have the sudden urge to make up a series of patterns of these animal : figures from the Caucasus ..... the ones I've found are mostly horned : animals, birds and such .... very cool patterns for cloth OR skin ... : email me if that strikes your fancy....

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