Woad
Woad is a flowering plant that was cultivated to produce indigo dye. It is native to the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Europe. It was historically produced in England, France, and Germany in medieval times. Eventually, the Indigo plant replaced woad as Europe's main cash crop that produces indigo dye.[1] Woad also has medicinal properties, as an astringent. Romans referred to Celts of northern Britain as Picts because they used woad to heal their battle scars, producing a blue tattoo.[1][2]
Woad Media
HabitusTaxon: Isatis tinctoria (s. str.) (sensu Fischer et al. EfÖLS 2008 ISBN 978-3-85474-187-9)*Location: Neue Donau, Vienna-Floridsdorf - ca. 160 m a.s.l.*Habitat: dry ruderal meadows
Fruits of Isatis tinctoria
The tapestry series The Hunt of the Unicorn (here No. 6: The Unicorn is Killed and Brought to the Castle, c. 1500), was dyed with weld (yellow), madder (red), and woad (blue).
Steps of the leaves to the blue dye.
Woad merchant Jean de Bernuy's 16th-century mansion in Toulouse
Indigo extracted from woad
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Speranza, Jasmine; Miceli, Natalizia; Taviano, Maria Fernanda; Ragusa, Salvatore; Kwiecień, Inga; Szopa, Agnieszka; Ekiert, Halina (2020-03-01). "Isatis tinctoria L. (Woad): A Review of Its Botany, Ethnobotanical Uses, Phytochemistry, Biological Activities, and Biotechnological Studies". Plants. 9 (3): 298. doi:10.3390/plants9030298. ISSN 2223-7747. PMC 7154893. PMID 32121532.
- ↑ Carr, Gillian. "Woad, tattooing, and identity in later Iron Age and early Roman Britain".