ART HISTORY AND HERITAGE

 

Turkish Anatolian historians have a totally different story to tell us about the origin of the Armenian dye.  They claim that  the so-called Armenian dye invention was in fact a very ancient Turkish product used in Yazma,  an ancient  Turkish handicraft which was practiced in Anatolia as early as 2,000 B.C. In addition to the story of the  invention of this dye by ancient Turks,  Turkish art historians advanced a very unique and entertaining theory to claim that their ancestors invented as well, an elaborate set of wooden seals and stamps  unearthed in Catal Hoyuk  to be used as art tools, mixers, brushes and stretchers in Yazma printing. But, The earliest known samples  of the Yazma  printing tools, dyes and printed cloth dated back only to the 16^th  century, and were not put into use by Turkish artists and artisans before the 17^th century as historical records discovered in  Turkish Tokat show.  In Turkish Tokat, you can still find some Yazmacilars, artisans who learned the dye  extraction, manufacturing and use, as well as printing on linens and wood carving from Armenian masters. They never denied it. In fact they were grateful to their Armenian teachers. However, one thing they still regret; their Armenian teachers  never taught them how to carve designs, and how to create patterns. This is the only thing they regret according to several Turkish artisans who live in Turkish Tokat.

 

 

 

 

 

 VARIOUS COLORS AND TONES OF THE ORIGINAL ARMENIAN DYE: THE COLORING PROCESS

Indigo was used as a blue color to exclusively dye cotton and wool.                                                                

Catechu was used as a brown color to dye cotton and silk.

 Yellow and red onions skin, berries and blueberries produced a vibrant yellow color which could be toned down by adding other vegetables and an extract from indigenous plants.

Mineral extracts were exclusively used to dye cotton.

 The famous Vortan Garmir (cochineal) was the essential ingredient for the easily recognizable Armenian red color. It was used to dye silk and wool. On raw or cultivated silk, Vortan Garmir produced a magnificent and a captivating color effect.  The red Armenian silk was the envy of the Persian silk traders and the favorite choice of Persian women. In addition to these color, an infinite selection of vegetables, fruits skins, nuts, wild flowers, roses petals, seeds and spices leaves were used to produced an astonishing large variety of various colors and shades.