indigo

Art & Architecture Thesaurus

indigo

A natural dark blue dye obtained from Indigofera tinctoria plants native to India, Java, Peru, and other tropical areas. The use of indigo was first mentioned in Indian manuscripts in the 4th century BCE; it was first exported to Europe in Roman times. The natural material is collected as a precipitate from a fermented solution of the plant, where the coloring component, indigotin, is extracted as a colorless glycoside that turns blue with oxidation. A similar colorant is found in woad and various other plants. Indigo is a fine, intense powder which may be used directly as a pigment in oil, tempera, or watercolor media. Since the exposed pigment can fade rapidly in strong sunlight, it is rarely used in art or fine textiles today. Howerver, it is still used to dye jeans, where its fading and uneven coloring have become favorable characteristics.

indigo, rock

blue, Indian

rich indigo

indigofera

blue, intense

indigo, stone

indigo, rich

woad (indigo)

rock indigo

Indigo

anil nilah

stone indigo

Indian blue

intense blue

nil

azul-indigo

indaco

ai

anil

natural indigo

indicum

indico

indicoe

indego