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Kermes and lac dye trade

Type Object Region Mediterranean Time c. 1581–1590

In the 1580s, Mediterranean kermes and Indian Ocean lac dyes were the chief red and purple sources for European and Ottoman textiles.

Timeline

  1. c. 1581–1584Almería · SpainKermes insects living on oaks were gathered in southern Spain and Malta, dried and graded by shade of color, then shipped from Seville and Barcelona to Italian textile centers.
  2. c. 1583–1586Surat · GujaratLac from Gujarat and Bengal was shipped from Surat and carried with Persian silk to the Red Sea, for Ottoman and Venetian merchants to buy for lacquerware coating and mordant dyeing.
  3. c. 1586–1590Venice · ItalyVenice's dye merchants' guild bought kermes and lac in bulk and distributed them to dye works in Florence, Lyon, and Antwerp; kermes red was priced high and became a signature dye of papal and Habsburg court dress.

Sources