The Materiality of Color: The Production, Circulation, and Application of Dyes and Pigments, 1400–1800 (The Histories of Material Culture and Collecting, 1700-1950)

The purpose of this essay collection is to recover color's complex and sometimes morally troubling past. By emphasising color's materiality, and how it was produced, exchanged and used, contributors draw attention to the disjuncture between the beauty of color and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into its production, circulation and application as well as to the complicated and varied social meanings attached to color within specific historical and social contexts. Although much has been written on the aesthetic value of color, there are other values that adhere to it with economic and social values among them. Through case studies of particular colors and colored objects, this volume demonstrates just how complex the history of color is by focusing on the diverse social and cultural meanings of color; the trouble, pain, and suffering behind the production and application of these colors; the difficult technical processes for making and applying color; and the intricacy of commercial exchanges and knowledge transfers as commodities and techniques moved from one region to another. By emphasizing color's materiality, the way in which it was produced, exchanged, and used by artisans, artists, and craftspersons, contributors draw attention to the disjuncture between the beauty of color and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into its production, circulation, and application as well as to the complicated and varied social meanings attached to color within specific historical and social contexts. This book captures color's global history with chapters on indigo plantations in India and the American South, cochineal production in colonial Oaxaca, the taste for brightly colored Chinese objects in Europe, and the thriving trade in vermilion between Europeans and Native Americans. To underscore the complexity of the technical knowledge behind color production, there are chapters on the 'discovery' of Prussian blue, Brazilian feather techn, and wallpaper production. To sound the depths of color's capacity for social and cultural meaning-making, there are chapters that explore the significance of black ink in Shakespeare's sonnets, red threads in women's needlework samplers, blues in Mayan sacred statuary, and greens and yellows in colored glass bracelets that were traded across the Arabian desert in the late Middle Ages. The purpose of this book is to recover color's complex-and sometimes morally troubling-past, and in doing so, to restore a sense of wonder and appreciation for our colorful world. With its nuanced and complex depiction of how color operated within local contexts and moved across the globe, this book will appeal to art historians, social and cultural historians, museum curators, literary scholars, rhetoric scholars, and historians of science and technology. Although much has been written on the aesthetic value of color, there are other values that adhere to it with economic and social values among them. Through case studies of particular colors and colored objects, this volume demonstrates just how complex the history of color is by focusing on the diverse social and cultural meanings of color; the trouble, pain, and suffering behind the production and application of these colors; the difficult technical processes for making and applying color; and the intricacy of commercial exchanges and knowledge transfers as commodities and techniques moved from one region to another. By emphasizing color's materiality, the way in which it was produced, exchanged, and used by artisans, artists, and craftspersons, contributors draw attention to the disjuncture between the beauty of color and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into its production, circulation, and application as well as to the complicated and varied social meanings attached to color within specific historical and social contexts. This book captures color's global history with chapters on indigo plantations in India and the American South, cochineal production in colonial Oaxaca, the taste for brightly colored Chinese objects in Europe, and the thriving trade in vermilion between Europeans and Native Americans. To underscore the complexity of the technical knowledge behind color production, there are chapters on the 'discovery' of Prussian blue, Brazilian feather techné, and wallpaper production. To sound the depths of color's capacity for social and cultural meaning-making, there are chapters that explore the significance of black ink in Shakespeare's sonnets, red threads in women's needlework samplers, blues in Mayan sacred statuary, and greens and yellows in colored glass bracelets that were traded across the Arabian desert in the late Middle Ages. The purpose of this book is to recover color's complex-and sometimes morally troubling-past, and in doing so, to restore a sense of wonder and appreciation for our colorful world. With its nuanced and complex depiction of how color operated within local contexts and moved across the globe, this book will appeal to art historians, social and cultural historians, museum curators, literary scholars, rhetoric scholars, and historians of science and technology Although Much Has Been Written On The Aesthetic Value Of Color, There Are Other Values That Adhere To It With Economic And Social Values Among Them. Through Case Studies Of Particular Colors And Colored Objects, This Volume Demonstrates Just How Complex The History Of Color Is By Focusing On The Diverse Social And Cultural Meanings Of Color; The Trouble, Pain, And Suffering Behind The Production And Application Of These Colors; The Difficult Technical Processes For Making And Applying Color; And The Intricacy Of Commercial Exchanges And Knowledge Transfers As Commodities And Techniques Moved From One Region To Another. By Emphasizing Color's Materiality, The Way In Which It Was Produced, Exchanged, And Used By Artisans, Artists, And Craftspersons, Contributors Draw Attention To The Disjuncture Between The Beauty Of Color And The Blood, Sweat, And Tears That Went Into Its Production, Circulation, And Application As Well As To The Complicated And Varied Social Meanings Attached To Color Within Specific Historical And Social Contexts. This Book Captures Color's Global History With Chapters On Indigo Plantations In India And The American South, Cochineal Production In Colonial Oaxaca, The Taste For Brightly Colored Chinese Objects In Europe, And The Thriving Trade In Vermilion Between Europeans And Native Americans. To Underscore The Complexity Of The Technical Knowledge Behind Color Production, There Are Chapters On The 'discovery' Of Prussian Blue, Brazilian Feather Technique, And Wallpaper Production. To Sound The Depths Of Color's Capacity For Social And Cultural Meaning-making, There Are Chapters That Explore The Significance Of Black Ink In Shakespeare's Sonnets, Red Threads In Women's Needlework Samplers, Blues In Mayan Sacred Statuary, And Greens And Yellows In Colored Glass Bracelets That Were Traded Across The Arabian Desert In The Late Middle Ages. Color's Social And Cultural Meanings -- Producing And Exchanging Pigments And Dyes -- Making Colored Objects. Edited By Andrea Feeser, Maureen Daly Goggin And Beth Fowkes Tobin. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 281-318) And Index. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction: The Value of Color Part I Color’s Social and Cultural Meanings 1 Colorizing New England’s Burying Grounds 2 The Extra-Ordinary Powers of Red in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century English Needlework 3 Coloring the Sacred in Sixteenth-Century Central Mexico 4 The Expense of Ink and Wastes of Shame: Poetic Generation, Black Ink, and Material Waste in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 5 “Luscious Colors and Glossy Paint”: The Taste for China and the Consumption of Color in Eighteenth-Century England Part II Producing and Exchanging Pigments and Dyes 6 Seeking Red: The Production and Trade of Cochineal Dye in Oaxaca, Mexico, 1750–1821 7 Red Ochre, Vermilion, and the Transatlantic Cosmetic Encounter 8 Indian Indigo 9 The Exceptional and the Expected: Red, White, and Black Made Blue in Colonial South Carolina 10 Prussian Blue: Transfers and Trials Part III Making Colored Objects 11 Glass Bracelets in the Medieval and Early Modern Middle East: Design and Color as Identity Markers 12 The Colorful Court of Gabriel Bethlen and Catherine of Brandenburg 13 The Evolution of Blackface Cosmetics on the Early Modern Stage 14 Crafts of Color: Tupi Tapirage in Early Colonial Brazil 15 Colors and Techniques of Eighteenth-Century Chinese Wallpaper: Blair House as Case Study 16 Butterflies, Spiders, and Shells: Coloring Natural History Illustrations in Late Eighteenth-Century Britain Bibliography Index Historians, art historians, and scholars of literature examine the aesthetic, economics, and social value of color in the material world. They use case studies of how color was produced, used, consumed, and circulated within particular and specific historical, social, and cultural contexts. The overall themes are color's social and cultural meanings, producing and exchanging pigments and dyes, and making colored objects. Among the topics are colorizing New England's burying grounds, the taste for china and the consumption of color in 18th-century England, Indian indigo, the design and color of glass bracelets as identity markers in the medieval and early modern Middle East, the evolution of blackface cosmetics on the early modern stage, and coloring natural history illustrations in late-18th-century Britain. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).