The Origin of Natural Dyes

It can be said that brocade is the leading fabric in combining multi-colors to create its own characteristics. However, the colors used to dye the fabrics are not from chemical dyes but are obtained from nature. In order to create natural, fresh, and durable colors for each brocade product, Thai women have to find coffee leaves, squid plants, red bark, rhizomes, turmeric, and lime leaves, cuttings leaves, silky leaves, eagle leaves, peanuts, jackfruit wood,... for dyeing.

Yellow: Obtained from turmeric, after the fabric is dyed, it is taken to dry in the wild.

Red: In the mountainous regions there is a plant called Krung. To get the red color from this tree, artisans will take the bark of the tree and then pound it and cook it.

Black: To get a black color, people will soak young mud with gourd leaves for a few days.

Indigo: Spring snail shells will be cooked to dry. Soak them in lime and then soak them with indigo leaves.

Sepia: The bark is soaked in vinegar, boiled for 3 hours, and left to cool overnight. When soaking the fabric, alum must be added.

Brown or dark red: Dyed from all kinds of bark, brown tubers, and coffee leaves,...

And there are many other ingredients such as eagle leaves, roots, longan leaves, antler leaves, etc. Each artisan will have their own method and secret to produce the unique color they desire.