Young fustic

Fabric dyed with young fustic

Description

European smoketree Cotinus coggygira

A natural yellow dyestuff obtained from the wood of the smoketree, Cotinus coggygria (formerly Rhus cotinus). This small tree, also called Venetian sumac, is native to southern Europe, the Middle East, India and China. The primary coloring compounds are fisetin and myricetin. Young fustic, also called fustet, has poor lightfastness. It was used for textiles and shading during the Middle Ages, but was rarely used after the 16th century.

(This is not the same dye as old fustic.)

Synonyms and Related Terms

young fustik; Zante fustic; fustet; Hungarian yellow wood; Venetian sumach; fustelb (Fr.); Fisetholz (Deut.); scotano (It.); fustete (Esp.); fiset (Ned.); Natural Brown 1; CI 75620; fisetin; myriceti; Cotinus coggygria (European smoketree); Rhus cotinus

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Fisetin is soluble in hot water, ethanol, alkali solutions.
• Tree height = up to 5 m
• Bark = light gray-brown
• Foliage = purple color oval-shaped leaves.

CAS	528-48-3

Resources and Citations

• J.Hofenk-de Graaf, Natural Dyestuffs: Origin, Chemical Constitution, Identification, Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science, Amsterdam, September 1969.

• Helmut Schweppe, Schweppe color collection index and information book

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 350

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing) Comment: Rhus cotimus

• Palmy Weigle, Ancient Dyes for Modern Weavers, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1974 Comment: Rhus cotimus

• R.D. Harley, Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835, Butterworth Scientific, London, 1982

• John and Margaret Cannon, Dye Plants and Dyeing, Herbert Press, London, 1994

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "fustic." Accessed 7 Apr. 2005 .

• Virginia Tech Dencrology website at www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm (accessed Oct. 3, 2005)

• F. Crace-Calvert, Dyeing and Calico Printing, Palmer & Howe, London, 1876

• Colour Index International online at www.colour-index.org

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoketree (Accessed Oct. 3, 2005)

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000