Dyes Used For Rug Yarns

Actually, it's none of the seasons. The synthetic dye catalogues are quite thick and rich in the kinds of dyes and shades of color that are available. But the natural dyes come from Mother Nature's own harmony, and they reflect the preferences of the various peoples through the years and centuries. Plus, the natural dyes (vegetable dyes) will mellow with time, and if left under the sun, They'll shine and radiate the most pleasing shades of color. In many areas it is common parasite to expose naturally dyed rugs to the sun so that the colors fade gradually and gracefully to the year ultimate harmony and beauty. But the synthetic dye doesn't have this peculiarity.

If the dye used is of the chromatic type, the colors are fast to light, as well as moisture, which, in it, can be considered as an advantage. But if the synthetic dye used is of a lower quality, with time the colors will fade and the various shades will probably be dull and lifeless. We can see with our naked eyes all the differences in dyes, understand the advantages, and disadvantages of each type, and easily discern which ones are more harmonies and eye pleasing.

Fine Turkish carpets recognized for their value and beauty are made with natural dyes obtained from plants, berries and trees. Chemical dyes are also used but to the trained eye they do not have the beauty or luster of natural dyes. The main natural dyes are listed below.

Dyes Wood (Civit Otu) Blue: From this plant dark or light blue tones are produced by the length of time which the plant is boiled. It is found along the edges of fields growing wild in Central and Western Anatolia. Dyer Wood and some other plants are used to yield indigo, which is the oldest and most important blue dye.

Madder Red (Kok Boya): The roots of this plant are known as madder. It grows wild in Central and Western Anatolia. A two year old plant will be about one and a half meters height "Rose madder" was a standard color on the plates of the old masters of the Renaissance and today, many expensive Italian and English neckties are known as madder ties because of the rich deep toned red color.

Ox-Eye Camomile (Sari Papaya), Bright Yellow: During the spring, one finds this plant all over Anatolia. It's large, golden yellow flowers a top long stems last throughout the summer. It grows along roadsides and in dry meadows. The flowers, fresh or dried, used along with an alum mordant, produce a bright yellow.

Walnut Tree (Ceviz), Brown: The beautiful walnut tree can be found in the forested country of Eastern Turkey. It is a profusely branched tree, which has a height of up to 25 meters and bears peanut leaves. The fruit is covered with a thick green rind which along with the leaves, is often used by villagers for a green or blackish-brown dye. The walnut tree is native in Turkey and is absent only in the regions with several meters. Turkey products 15-20 percent of the world's walnut crop. The effective coloring agent is the brown dye, juglone, which adheres directly to wool fibers without a mordant (mordant means a fixing agent). In ancient times the walnut pods were used in medicine and for the dyeing of hair.