"The flower is very small and of a greenish yellow color. The root is cylindrical and fleshy — and of a reddish-yellow color." This is an excerpt from a speech given by scientist William Henry Perkins at the Royal Society of Arts in London on May 8, 1879.
Using madder root to dye fabric is an ancient practice. Madder dyed cloth dating to the 3rd millennium BCE has been discovered in one of the oldest and largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, Mohenjo-daro, located in modern-day Pakistan. Madder has also been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 1500 BCE and discovered in a paint-makers shop in the fossilized city of Pompeii.
Madder root trade was once big business but fell suddenly when a red color was chemically synthesized in 1869.
Our madder root (rubia cordifolia) is grown organically in India. The dye is extracted by drying their pinkish roots and then crushing, pounding and sifting until you achieve a rather fluffy orange-brown powder.
Our Organic Madder Root Red Collection is dyed by a fellow west coast woman-owned business. This collection will be available for pre-order at 15% off until October 18th.
SHOP ORGANIC MADDER ROOT RED COLLECTION
SHOP ORGANIC MADDER ROOT RED COLLECTION