Dyeing and Painting Technology in Ancient India

IKS: HU105
Indrajit Bose

Dyeing and Painting Technology in Ancient India

India has a long history of dyeing fabrics and was a leading exporter of natural dyes to
western civilizations in ancient times. As early as 2300-1750 BC, evidence is found in the form
of a piece of cotton dyed with madder in the ruins of Mohenjo Daro. Further testimony of the
fact that dyes had been discovered early in India came from the Ajanta and Bagh paintings, many
of which showed men in coloured clothing. Dyes like Indigo, Madder and Kermes were
introduced to the world quite early by the Indian civilization. The colours that were obtained
from dyes had a wide application, being used to colour fabrics, papyrus, metals and stone, being
thereby used in clothing and apparel, painting and illustration in manuscripts, sculptures, murals
frescoes and bas relief.

Colourants, Dyes and Pigments Used:

Since ancient times, natural colourants had been used as natural dyes. Pigments were derived
from three main sources:
(a)Mineral - including red lead, vermilion, yellow ochre, gold powder, Lapis lazuli, Azurite
(blue), Malachite (green), calcium sulphate, white lead, silver powder, and zinc (white).
(b)Vegetable - including indigo blue and madder red (derived from the manjistha plant,
considered suitable for textiles and not for paintings).
(c) Artificial - lampblack, verdigris green and ivory black.

Colours, Extraction and Use:

Evidence of the use of natural dyes is found in the Atharvaveda in the Vedic period, in several
Silpa texts and Buddhist texts in the post-Vedic period. The primary colours were clearly
defined. The Visnudharmottara, the oldest of the Silpa texts - states the primary colours as sveta
(white), rakta (red), pitta (yellow), krsna (black), and harita (green). In another list, it includes
nila (blue).
Many natural dyes extracted from plants were popular. The colouring properties of Kala and
Asikini (possibly indigo), Maharanjana (safflower), Manjistha (madder), Lodhra (Symplocos
Racemosa) and Haridra (Turmeric) were recognized in the Vedic period. The vedic texts refer to
several colours in which cloth was usually dyed. The colours known to the people of Rigvedic
period seem to be evidenced from the occurrence in the Rigveda. Though the texts refer to
several dye-stuffs and cloths of different colours, but they do not shed any light on the technique
of dyeing.
In the later Vedic period, dyeing was done with the juice of "lodhra" flower or with madder or
indigo. Indigo was derived from the Indigofera tinctoria plant. Several colours are mentioned in
later Vedic literature. They include white, red, yellow, green, blue and black.

Different techniques were employed for extracting dyes. Mineral dyes like hirmaji and ramraj
were obtained by pounding the ochre-hued clay and mixing it with water, giving a yellowish
orange to orange shade. For animal dyes a different method was used. Cochineal dyes, for
example, were obtained from insects by collecting them into bags, killing them by immersion in
hot water or long exposure to sunlight, and the dye extracted with the help of water. Most

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 Dyeing and Painting Technology in Ancient India
IKS: HU105
Indrajit Bose

vegetable dyes, being soluble, were extracted with water. The insoluble ones were extracted with
alkali or wood ashes. The extraction of indigo, however, was cumbersome and complicated.

The Vedic people knew different methods of dyeing clothes and textiles. Both male and female
dyers were engaged. Clothes were dyed in different colours, and sometimes, there were
prescribed colours for people belonging to different varnas. The Asvalyan Grihasutra states
Brahmins should wear reddish yellow(Kasaya), the Kshatriya’s garment needs to be dyed with
madder (Manjistha), the Vaisya needs to wear yellow (Charindra) during upnayana. The
Brihadaranyak Upanishad suggests clothes were dyed with various colours such as yellow,
scarlet and red.

During the Buddhist period, dyeing industry was in full fledged operation. The Jataka refers to a
variety of colours and to garments, rugs and curtains as dyed scarlet, orange. Mahavagga
mentions the techniques of dyeing employed by Bhikkhus and informs that they dyed their
clothes with cow dung or with yellow clay. The dye was prepared into the jars and a large trough
was used for dyeing the cloth. The Vinaypapitaka informs us that dyed clothes like blue, light
yellow were prohibited for the monks. This suggests that clothes of these colours were used by
the laity.
In the Buddhist canons we find many references to coloured cloth. Dyes were prepared from the
roots, trunks and bark of threes, leaves, flowers and fruits. Probably dyes were made from
substances like cinkura (a yellow coloured fragrant plant), Haritala (yellow orpiment),Sarisava
(mustard), the flowers of kimsuka (japakusuma), Kumkuma (Saffron), blue lotus, sirisa, flowers
and collyrium etc. Dyes were first boiled in order to give a fast colour to clothes. Apart from
dyeing clothes, dyes were needed for ladies who often painted their hands and feet. Dyeing
methods usually included direct dyeing, using mordants to intensify the colour or steeping in
vats,as with indigo.

Jatakas also mention various colours such as white (sveta), dark-blue (nila), brown (pingala),
yellow (halidda), golden (suvarna), silvery (rajatamaya), red (rattain dagopo), black (kali),
madder like (Manjetha) etc. It can be presumed that these colours were utilised for dyeing
clothes. Hence we may infer that the art of dyeing was equally developed as weaving in this
period. Jain literature and Bhasya inform us that the coarse cloth was first washed and bleached
before dyeing. Soda (Sajjiyakhara) is mentioned as washing agents.

The dyeing of textiles was practised in the Maurya period as evidenced by the Arthasastra which
mentions white, pure red, rose-red. and black woolen and fur. The most well-known of ancient
printed textiles are the Calicoes of Masalia, Madras, Masulipatnam. The beauty of design, colour
and fastness of the dye of these ancient printed textiles made them more popular all over the
world.The Sangam texts are also replete with references to South Indian dyes.

Thus we see that the art of dyeing was as old as human civilization. From historical records, it is
learnt that natural colorants were available to people from ancient times. The early Vedic Aryans
did not practice diverse techniques of dyeing because they were a pastoral and migratory people.

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 Dyeing and Painting Technology in Ancient India
IKS: HU105
Indrajit Bose

With the development of civilization weaving of cloth was considered to be a very useful job, for
it resulted in material prosperity of the weaver and ensured his sound economic condition. On
account of this, cloth was regarded as the embodiment of prosperity and nourishment. People in
general wanted to make their clothes beautiful for which it was necessary to make fascinating
designs on them. In this regard dyeing played an important role.

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