Dyes and Dyeing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China: Preliminary Evidence Based on Primary Sources of Documented Recipes

Abstract

Colour has long held a special significance in Chinese culture, especially for textiles in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) Dynasties, the period when imperial handicrafts reached their production peak. This paper makes the first attempt to compare systematically historical Chinese records of textile dyeing to understand its practice. The paper presents research into the dyes and dyeing methods recorded in four important historical manuscripts of dye recipes from the periods of interest by examining the range and frequency of dyes and dyeing methods using statistical analysis methods. Issues such as the reliability of the historical resources of dyeing, the combination of raw materials, factors affecting the choices of dyes and dyeing methods and advances in dyeing are discussed. The findings of this research significantly promote the knowledge of textile dyeing for historical Chinese textiles research. They also have important implications for the understanding of world textile dyeing history.