Medieval Dyestuffs and Dyeing

A two-day conference & dyeing workshop organised by the Medieval Dress and 
Textile Society (MEDATS)

Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2, and School 
of Plant Sciences, Reading University Whiteknights Campus

13-14 July 2002

The conference's purpose is to explore the practical and theoretical 
aspects of the study of dyestuffs and dyeing in the Middle Ages, and to 
encourage cross-disciplinary debate. Speakers and demonstrators include 
practising dyers, plant scientists, chemists, conservators, art historians, 
historians and archaeologists.
- What is dyeing?
- How was it done in Europe between Late Antiquity and the sixteenth century ?
- Why were certain dyestuffs, mordants and fibres favoured?
- How was colour perceived in the Middle Ages?

Saturday 13 July 2002
Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2

Academic papers

10.00-10.30: Registration
10.30-11.00: Dr Paul Wyeth (University of Southampton), The chemistry of 
Medieval dyeing
11.00-11.30: Coffee
11.30-12.00: Dr Jan Wouters (Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, 
Brussels), Dye studies on pre-17th century European textiles: methodology & 
conclusions
12.00-12.30: Professor Philip John (University of Reading), The medieval 
woad vat explained
12.30-12.45: Discussion.
12.45-14.15: Lunch
14.15-14.45: Dr. Spike Bucklow (The Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of 
Cambridge), Aristotle and the vat: the medieval science of dyeing
14.45-15.15: Hero Granger-Taylor (Independent Scholar), True purple & its 
imitations in late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
15.15-15.30: Discussion
15.30-16.00: Tea
16.00-16.30: Dr Luca Molà (University of Warwick), The trade in dyestuffs & 
their application in 14th & 15th century Venice
16.30-17.00: Dr Robert Chenciner (St Anthony's College, University of 
Oxford), Madder red & the Ottomans
17.00-17.15: Discussion
18.00-19.00: Reception for everyone in the Courtauld Galleries


Sunday 14 July 2002
School of Plant Sciences, Reading University, Whiteknights Campus

Demonstrations

10.00-10.30: Registration & Coffee
10.30-11.00: Professor Philip John (School of Plant Sciences), Introduction
11.00-13.00: Demonstrations
13.00-14.00: Lunch
14.00-14.30: Presentation - Sally Ann Chandler, The wear and tear of 
medieval dyestuffs as demonstrated in replica garments
14.30-16.30: Demonstrations
15.00-15.30: Tea
16.30-16.45: Discussion
17.00-18.00: Reception, Gardens of the School of Plant Sciences

Approximately seven demonstrations will show dyeing with dyestuffs and 
mordants in use from c.4th century AD - c.1600

murex: Inge Boesken Kanold (OKHRA - Conservatoire des Ocres et Pigments 
Appliqués,  Roussillon)
woad: John Edmonds B.Sc.(Eng.) (Chiltern Open Air Museum & author of The 
Medieval Woad Vat)
kermes: Dr Dominique Cardon (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
madder, ferrous sulphate & oak gall: Jenny Dean (author of The Craft of 
Natural Dyeing) saffron: Patience Beaumont (Essex Guild of Weavers)
dyers' greenwood, golden rod, weld: Penny Walsh (London Guild of Weavers)
overdyeing: Tracey Kendal (Royal College of Art)

Exhibitions

How Indigo is derived from woad

How bacteria reduce indigo in the woad vat


Booking

Please send a stamped addressed envelope, a note of your name, address and 
telephone number,  and a cheque for the relevant amount to:
Anna Buruma
67 Landseer Road
London N194JR

Tickets cost:
£60.00 - MEDATS members
£70.00 - Non-members
£40.00 - Concessions
For concessionary tickets (NUS/OAP/UB40) please include proof of status 
(photo-copy of NUS card etc.). Tickets are for both days only. Price 
includes all refreshments and receptions, excluding lunch on Saturday 13th 
July. Ticket holders are responsible for arranging their own transport to 
both venues. A map of the Reading Whiteknights Campus will be sent with the 
tickets. Ticket applications must be received before 1 July 2002.


MEDATS

The Medieval Dress and Textile Society was founded in 1991 to bring 
together those with a serious interest in the subject. Historians of dress 
and textiles already have their own channels of communication through a 
number of specific groups but their studies now range widely in many 
fields: art and economic history, metropolitan and industrial studies, 
politics, archaeology, medieval literature, arms and armour, or women's 
history, for instance. At the same time a far greater interest in many 
aspects of the subject - style and status, sumptuary legislation, 
patronage, industrial practices, domestic furnishings - is being 
demonstrated by historians, and conservators.

The Medieval Dress and Textile Society encourages the study and 
conservation of dress and textiles. It embraces the period from the fall of 
the Roman Empire in the West to the Reformation, and encompasses a broad 
range of historic and artistic subjects.

A well informed newsletter is regularly produced giving details of future 
and past meetings, bibliographies, reviews and recent publications. The 
society provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and co-ordinates the 
diverse interests of its members. The society's membership is 
international, and we welcome new members and any suggestions for future 
meetings.

Web-Site: www.medats.cwc.net


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rupert Shepherd
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Material Renaissance Project
Essex House
University of Sussex
Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QQ, U.K.
Tel. +44 (0)1273 872544     Fax +44 (0)1273 678644
[log in to unmask]
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/arthist/matren/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~