Sappanwood
Description
A red dye obtained from the Caesalpinia sappan (Sappanwood) or Biancaea sappan (Indian redwood) trees native to India and Sri Lanka. Sappanwood dye is also called brazilwood dye as the chemical coloring component is brazilein. Brazilein has been used since at least the Middle Ages to dye fabric, and has been used to make paints and inks as well. The specific color produced by the pigment depends on its manner of preparation: in an acidic solution the dye will appear orange-red, but an alkaline preparation will appear red to purplish. Brazilein dye can also be obtained from several species of trees including Paubrasilia echinata (Brazilwood), Biancaea sappan (Indian redwood), and Haematoxylum brasiletto (Mexican logwood).
Synonyms and Related Terms
Caesalpinia sappan; red bud; suo (Jap.); brazil (Esp.); sapan; sapanwood; brazilwood; Indian redwood; brazilein
Colorant Extraction
For use as a dye, the sappanwood chips are placed in a bundle or bag, the steeped in a pot of hot water overnight. The solids are then removed and the liquid can be used as a dye. The color of the solution can also be adjusted with additives. Acids, (such as cream of tartar or lemon juice) produce a yellow to red color; bases (such as soda ash or lye) make red to purple; and an iron mordant produces an iron or brick color solution. For use as a pigment, alum is added the lye extract (or to the acid extract, lye) in order to fix the color and precipitate it from the solution. The precipitate can be dried and then powdered for use.
Resources and Citations
- Melo, Maria J.; Castro, Rita; Nabais, Paula; Vitorino, Tatiana (2018-07-27). "The book on how to make all the colour paints for illuminating books: unravelling a Portuguese Hebrew illuminators' manual". Heritage Science. 6 (1) 44. link
- Palmy Weigle, Ancient Dyes for Modern Weavers, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1974
- R. Hofmann, "The Bühler Collection of Indonesian Dyeplants" Dyes in History and Archaeology, no. 15, Papers from the 15th annual meeting held in Manchester England, Nov. 1996
- R.Feller, M.Curran, C.Bailie, 'Identification of Traditional Organic Colorants Employed in Japanese Prints and Determination of their Rates of Fading', Japanese Woodblock Prints, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, 1984
- Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998