Reconstruction of traditional safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) dyeing and red colors in the Qing Dynasty (17th-19th century)

Abstract

Safflower was one of the most prominent red dyes used on silk during the Qing Dynasty. Studies of traditional natural dyes and dyeing have always been an integral part of ancient textile research. A combination of literature analysis, dye identification, and machine learning regression analysis was used to reconstruct safflower dyeing and colors in the Qing Dynasty. Based on the dyeing archives collected by the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, this study establishes a color prediction GPR model for safflower dyeing. Three types of red color dyes on a Qianlong Kesi robe in the Beijing Art Museum were analyzed by HPLC-DAD-MS. A correction set cyclic training method was developed to reconstruct the color and dyeing recipe on textile relics with high predictive efficiency. Furthermore, the effect of each dyeing parameter on the color was analyzed. A color gamut and dyeing recipe database were constructed for Pure Red, Peach Red, Water Red, Red, and Fish Red recorded in the dyeing archives, providing a reference for research on traditional dyeing technology.