Day 14 - Indigo & Superstition

         

                           

       Indigo Dye Vats

The exact moment that the indigo fermentation was complete was difficult to determine. The next step in the process was to drain off the excess liquid leaving behind the indigo sediment.

Many traditions and superstitions surrounded this part of the indigo production. In Japan offerings of rice and plum wine were made to insure a good indigo color. At the Magnolia Mound Plantation in Louisiana the agent in charge of determining the exact time the indigo was ready was said to have used a silver cup. The cup was dipped into the indigo vat and examined for the right color. If the liquid was too green it wasn't ready. A deep blue color was the desired result.  A well trained slave who could determine the right blue color was so prized  for their skill that they were sometimes able earn their freedom. In Egypt the failure of a vat was blamed on women. Menstruating women were not allowed to walk by the dye vats. In China women with flowers in their hair were kept away. Indonesian women were forbidden the use of strong language when harvesting indigo to protect the soul of the plant. When planting indigo in the West Indies an odd number of seeds were planted in each hole. Essentially the success of having a good indigo harvest and good dye vats was an uncertain business. 

Ivory Coast men wearing Adire indigo clothes. From Adire African Textiles

Day 13 - Indigo and the Animal Population

           

The smell of fermenting indigo was so noxious and offensive to people that the association between the production of indigo and its effect on animals is also quite interesting. Indigo was  found to be a natural insect repellent. Field hands working in the rice paddies and with indigo were far less susceptible to contracting malaria since the indigo smell either killed or warded off mosquitoes.  Horsemen rubbed their horses bridals with indigo as an insect repellent to against flies. Buzzards were also observed avoiding carrion close to indigo dye pits.
Farm Animals on plantations were kept well away from the indigo fermenting dye vats. Owner Eliza Pinckney wrote that, The odor from the rotting weeds drew flies and other insects by the thousands, greatly increasing the chances of the spread of diseases.  Animals and poultry...likewise suffered, and it was all but impossible to keep livestock on or near the indigo manufacturing site.
In 1925 a creeping species of indigo, in the legume family, and native to Africa was introduced into Florida as a ground cover and cattle fodder. The plant was found to be highly toxic, killing rabbits, goats, sheep, and cattle. Pigs refused to eat it.  Creeping indigo was hard to get rid of. Even today farmers in Florida  still report incidents of livestock being poisoned by creeping indigo.

 Morton, J. F. 1989. Creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata Forsk.) (Fabaceae) – A hazard to herbivores in Florida. Econ. Bot. 43:314-327.

Day 12 - Indigo Production in the United States

Indigo Plantation in South Carolina photo Stanford.edu

 

The United States has the shortest history of indigo production partly because we were not  heavily colonized by any European countries until the 1700's.  In New York during the 1650's, Dutch settlers tried to grow indigo but found the climate unsuitable and looked to other markets. It took almost 100 years, and the help of slave labor, that indigo was planted in the French settlement of Louisiana.  In South Carolina in 1747 when Eliza Lucas Pinckney, born in Antigua to British parents, was looking for a crop to support her family's flagging plantation. Her father sent her seeds and a skilled indigo grower from Montserrat, who later tried to sabotage her and was fired. Still trying  Pinckney's success with growing indigo and sharing seeds with her neighbors fostered what became a leading industry in the south.

Eliza Pinckney

Eliza Pinckney's vision and entrepreneurial skills changed the whole southern economy.  She is at once celebrated for her unique ideas and ability to persevere in an unknown market but also caused the increased importation and higher paid prices for slaves. Slaves in South Carolina became some of the most expensive ones to buy based on the profits gained by indigo plantations. What didn't change was the harsh treatment of slaves. When facilities were built to produce indigo dye, slaves were exposed to the hazardous results of processing indigo. The average life span of a healthy slave was only 5-7 years. It is not known if Pinckney treated her slaves well but noted in letters that she did teach some of them to read. In her later years she became an avid supporter of the American Revolution which eventually led to Americas independence and the end of slavery.

Day 11- Indigo Production in the East Indies

 

Map: culturalimperialism.pbworks.com

As the competition intensified to control the indigo production and profits, the East Indies also fell prey to European colonization. These countries forced slavery on the native population and occupied  their land to gain wealth. The Dutch first invaded the area in 1602 and still controlled parts of Java well after World War II. 

 

      "Batik pattern - kawung" by Alteaven                                            "Batik Indonesia" by MartijnL

The Indonesian people had their own version of decorative textile production skills known as batik. Patterns were drawn on the cotton cloth with hot wax, then dyed. The wax was boiled or scraped off and another layer of wax designs was applied before dying the fabric again. This process would be repeated several times with some patterns taking up to a year to complete. Traditional batik symbols and patterns were used to celebrate their ceremonial practices and everyday rituals. For example women were wrapped in seven layers of batik during childbirth and a new baby was carried in a sling patterned with designs for good luck. Evidence of batik techniques were also found in Egypt, China, and India as early as the 4th century BC, but the Indonesian  examples of batik were prized for their designs. In 2009 UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Day 10 - Indigo Production in the West Indies

   

photo from emersonkent.com

The West Indies had a perfect climate to grow and produce indigo. European countries mainly France, England, and Portugal sought to colonize these islands and profit from their lucrative indigo market. Soon the economic and political landscape of the American Revolution an the Napoleonic wars undermined control of the West Indies and its indigo production. Due to political unrest and slave revolts in the West Indies, the indigo market shifted toward India and Java.

 

Slaves revolt in Saint Dominique

Saint Dominigue

Saint Dominigue

Saint Dominigue

France controlled the West Indian island of Saint Dominique, now known as Haiti, and was producing very profitable cotton, coffee, and indigo crops. In the time  between 1791-1804 a series of slave uprisings led to one of the largest and most successful  slave rebellions that resulted in a social shift recognizing human rights, citizenship status for its people, and participation in local government.

Haitian Revolution (1791-1804)

Day 9- Indigo Production in South America

A child wearing an ikat robe,

As early as 700 BC evidence of indigo production appeared in Central and South America. Indigo was  primarily used to dye yarns for weaving. Ikat is a weaving style common to many world cultures and probably one of the oldest forms of textile decoration. The weaving process involves resist dyed yarns woven into designs using the warp,  the weft, or both for double weave patterns.  Ikat weaving is still widely used today in South America and Mexico for  ponchos and blanket production. The ancient Incas and Aztecs  considered indigo more valuable than gold.  Blue, a revered color was used for making their ceremonial garments and  ritually staining human bodies before they were sacrificed.  
The Myan culture combined indigo with a rare clay to produce a paint compound  used in  murals, sculptures, and ceramics.

photo from markhillpublishing.com

In 1524 the Spanish conquered parts of Guatemala, Nicaragua and Peru and began producing indigo on a commercial scale. They began exporting indigo to Africa and the West Indies hoping to profit by bypassing the Portuguese and French controlled markets there. Unfortunately the indigo production in Guatemala was plagued by earthquakes and heavy rains. Fermenting indigo also attracted swarms of flies leaving people and animals sick or dying. By the mid 1700's synthetic indigo was being produced and trade tariffs were increasing. Spain decided to move onto producing other more lucrative crops including coffee which soon eclipsed indigo production and profits.  

Day 8 - Indigo Production in Africa

photo from adireafricantextiles.com

   Africa also has a long and rich history of producing indigo for its commercial and cultural markets. Ironically Africa, like India also used slave labor to support its indigo industry. Africa's slave labor actually increased as trans-Atlantic slave exports decreased.  During 1905 in response to their harsh treatment and expanding demand for indigo textiles, slaves revolted, deserting their masters to start their own dying shops. West Africa became known for its beautiful indigo fabrics and was frequented by European merchants who conducted a thriving  trade  with the dying business now run by women.

photo from pinterest.com

Africal like other the countries that grew indigo believed that it also had  strong medicinal properties. Indigo was thought to aid in treating  bites from insects, snakes, and animals as well as fever, stomach maladies, and aiding in childbirth. A mixture of indigo and beeswax was wrapped around a wound to stop an infection. Guatemalan farmers treated their animals with indigo to control mites. Even as late as the 1980's women in remote Arabian villages still  anointed themselves and their children with indigo believing in its protective qualities.