→To dye bones into a greene colour.
TAke a panne full of cleare water, and put into it a good greate piece of quicke lyme, leauinge it so the space of a daye. The next daye morninge mingle it well together with a sticke, and so let it reste, and at none styrre it agayne, and likewise at night. The nexte mor|ninge folowinge, you shall straine it cleane oute and kepe it, in the meane time haue the bones that you will die in a readinesse, and boile them well in other com|mon water, wherein Roche Alome hath ben dissolued, and whan it hath boyled a good space, you shall take them out, and let them drie, than scrape them wel with a knife, and put them into the sayde lime water, and addinge to it some Verdegrise, you shall let them seeth well, and than take them out. And after you haue wy|ped and dried them, do with them what ye will, for thei will be very fayre: And in stede of the saied lyme water you may vse pisse, whiche wyll be of the like operation.
comments: quick lime is calcium oxide; roche alum is rock alum (hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate), verdegrise is verdigris (copper carbonate).
→Another maner howe to die bones, or Iuorye, into the coloure of an Emeraude.
TAke Aqua fortis separatiua, and put therin to fret and dissolue, as muche copper or brasse, as the water is hable with her force to dissolue and leuse: this doen, put in what peece of woorke you will, beynge fyrste cutte in the fourme that you will haue it, as beftes for kniues, penkniues, ynckhornes, images, or anye other thinge to youre fantasie, leaue them in it the space of a night, and thei shall be of the colour of an Emerande. Nowe, if in steede of copper or brasse, you didde put in Syluer, it woulde be the better.
comments: aqua fortis is nitric acid.
→To die bones redde, blewe, or of anye coloure you wyll.
87 FIrste boyle your bones in Alome wa|ter, than take quicke lyme water, or pisse, and in this water or pysse, you shall put Brasyll, Azur, or an herbe called Rub[...]a, which the Apoticaries call Rubramaior, and Rubra tinctorum, or Rubea tinctorum, wherewith they coloure wolle or skinnes, in Englishe Chickweede, or what other colour you wyll, and than seeth your bones or Iuozie therein, and they wyll take suche coloure as you put in.
comments: alome is alum; Rubia tinctorum is common or dyer's madder; Iuozie could be ivory.
→A very goodlie secrete to dye or colour woode, of what colour a man will, which some Ioyners do vse that make tables and other thinges of diuers colours, and do esteme it amonge them selues to be of suche excellencie, that one brother will not teache it another.
TAke early in the morninge, newe and freshe horse donge, made that night, and take of the moysteste ye can gette, with the strawe or lytter and al, and laye vpon some little stickes layde a crosse one ouer|thwart another, and set some vessell vnderneth, for to receaue that shall droppe or fall from the sayde donge. And yf you can not haue inough in one morninge, doe the like two or three times, or as ofte as you wyll: than whan you haue wel dreamed out the water of this dong you shall put into euery pot of the sayed water, the big|nesse of a beane of Roche Alome, and as much gomme Arabick. Than stiepe what colour you will in it, vsing dyuers vessels, if you will haue diuers colours, and put in what pieces of wood you will, holdinge them at the fyre, or in the Sunne: and at eche tyme plucke out some pieces and laye them apart, leauinge the other in, for the lenger ye let them lie in the water, the more wyll the colour alter. And in this manner you shall haue a greate quantitie of diuers colours, the one cleerer, the other darker, and maye vse it to youre commoditie, so what vse you list, for they shall be coloured both within and withoute, so that they will neuer lose theyr colour, neither by water or any other thinge.
comments: roche alome is rock alum; gomme Arabick is gum arabic.
→To counterfeyte the blacke woode called Hebenus, or Hebenum, and to make it as fayre as the naturall Hebene, which groweth no where but in India.
ALl kynde of woode that is lyke vnto this Hebene, may be dyed black: but the hardest and the massiuest (as boxe and other lyke) are meetest for it, [Note: Sola India fert Hebenu~ ] and will be bryghter, and aboue all, the wood of a Mulbery tree, as well the white as the blacke, is the beste to be couloured, albeit the blacke be muche more for the pur|pose. Take than the saied wood, and let it lye the space of three dayes in Alome water, either in the Sunne, or a pretye waye of frome the fyre, vntill the water waxe somewhat warme: than take oyle Oliue, or Oyle of lyne seede, and put it in a little panne, wherein is the bygnesse of a nutte, of Romaine Vitriole, and as much Brymstone. This doen, seeth your woode in the sayde Oile a certaine space, and so shal you haue a thinge ve|ry darke of colour. And the lenger you let it boile, the blacker it will waxe, but to much boylinge burneth it, and maketh it bryttle, therfore both in thone and other you must be circumspecte, and vse discretion.
comments: hebenus is ebony (Diospyros ebenum); oyle Oliue is olive oil; Oyle of lyne seede is linseed oil; Romaine Vitriole is cupric sulfate, Brymstone is sulfur.
→To die skynnes blewe, or of the colour of Asure.
HAuinge fyrst well washed the skinne, and than wronge him, take the berries of wal|wort, and elder berries, and seeth them in water, wherein Roche Alome was dissol|ued, passe him once thorowe this water, & let him drie, than passe him again thorow the same wa|ter, and being wiped and dried againe, wash him with cleere water, than scrape out that water with the back of a knife, & once again passe it ouer wt the same colour, and let it dry, so shal it be of a very blew or Asur colour.
comments: Roche Alome is rock alum.
→To die skinnes in chickweede, called in latin Rubra ma|iore, or Rubra tinctorum, into a redde colour.
HAuing anoincted, washed, wronge, & layd abroad the skin, as is aforesaied, wete it with water that white wine lees and baye salt hath ben boiled in, and than wring him. Take than cre|uises or crabbe shelles (be they of the sea or of the riuer) burned into ashes, the whiche you shall temper with the said water of the lees and salt, and rubbe well the skinne therwith, than washe him well with cleere water, and wringe hym. This done, take ruddle tempered in water of lees, and rubbe the skinne well ouer and ouer with it, and than with the foresayde ashes, wasshinge, and wringinge it thre times. Finallye, after you haue wasshed him, and wronge him, if you thinke it be not well ynoughe, you shall geue him one dienge with Brasyll. The paste or masse of Rubra tinctorum, must be made with water that lees or tartre hath bene boiled in, and the sayed water must be luke warme, whan you make the paste of rud|dle, than leaue it so the space of a night. After this, put vpon the sayd Rubra tinctorum, a lyttle Alome, dragges, or lees, or Alome catinum, stieped in water. You maye also adde to it the colour of the shearing of scarlet, whi|che hath bene taken oute boylinge in lye, whiche is a goodly secrete.
comments: Rubia tinctorum is common or dyer's madder; lees (dragges) is the sediment in a barrel of wine and contains tartar; Alome is alum; Alome catinum is uncertain, could be burned tartar.
→To die skinnes Greene. [Note: Sap green is made with the berries of a Dogge berry tree ]
ANnoint the skinne, and wash him well with cold water, and than in hote water, and so wipe & drie him. This doen, take of the graines wherwt men the sappe (the decoction wherof shall be put in thende of this boke, with them of all other necessary thinges) and the sayde graynes or berries muste be verye rype, than put them in cleare water, couered a fingar heigth, put therein also Roche Alome, and geue theim onelye one wawlme on the fyre. This doen, strayne them out into some vessell, than take the skinne, and folde him in the middle, rubbinge him well on both sydes, with the said sodden graines, or berries, whiche remaine in the pan, and after with rawe Alome poulder. This doen, take the ashes of shepes donge burned, and wete it with the saied coloure that you strained into the sayde vessell, and rubbe the skinne wel on euery side, than cleere him againe of the saied graines, and washe him with cleere water, and set him to drie withoute wipinge him. Fy|nally cast on him two glassefulles of the sayde coloure, and it will be a perfecte greene.
comments: Roch Alome is rock alum; graines are most likely buckthorn berries, used to make sappe green (UV sensitive).
→Another waye to dye skinnes greene.
LEtte the skinne be annoincted, well wasshed, wronge, and stretched oute as before, than take of the same grai|nes and berries ye toke before, which you shall stampe and seeth in Roche Alome water, and geue the skynne twoo wypes ouer with this coloure, and so let it dry. After this you shal geue him one dying or colouringe of yellowe, made with the graynes, or berries of Nerprum, sodden in water and Alome, and a lyttle Saffron, and you shall haue an excellent greene.
comments: Alome is alum; nerprum is a yellow dye, as is saffron.
→To die the sayde skinnes greene another waye.
TAke the skinne, being annoincted, wasshed, and spredde abroade, dye and coloure him with the coloure made of sap greene, and put to it a few asshes wette in water, and so rubbe the skinne all about. And whan you haue washed and wyped hym againe, geue him one wype ouer with and Indian co|loure sodden in Roche Alome. And whan it is drye, lay on it of the foresayde yellow, and you shall haue a fayre and liuely greene.
→Another waye to dye skinnes of Asure coloure, and fayre.
TAke the skinnes of blacke grapes, and rubbe well your leather with all, vntill it waxe some|what blewe, and alsoo rubbe it well with the poulder of Indicum, then washe it, drye, and po|lyshe it. Than stiepe the Indicum in thicke redde wyne: and whan the skynne is washed, annoinct him with it, and you shall haue a fayre skinne asured blewe.
comments: Indicum is likely Chrysanthemum indicum, a known source of green dye.
→Another maner to dye skinnes Greene.
TAke rype elder berries, and the berries of wal|wort, and of sappe greene, and this well stam|ped, you shall put to it Roche Alome, as muche as you shall thinke good, but rather to muche than to little: than take the lye, and put into it the saied berries of sappe greene, and seeth them one waulme.
This doen, put in the berries of the walwort, or elder, and make them seeth also one waulme, than take them from the fyre, and let them coole, and after rubbe the skinnes with theim. Finallye, ye shall cast vpon them, the ashes of sheepes donge, rubbinge them well with it. After this, geue theim the couloured water that the saied graines or berries were sodden in, than take of the water with a curryers knyfe, and let them drye. And yf you nede to geue theim more coloure, than you maye put in more Indicum boyled, and it wyll be the better.
comments: Walwort is walewort or European dwarf elder.
→To die neates leather into a greene colour, as well in galle as in leaues.
POlyshe well the leather with a pom|meyse stone, annointe it well with oyle, and washe it: than take an vnce or two of galles stamped, and put it in hote water, leauing it so an hour, than straine it thorow a linen cloth, and put the leather into the same wa+ter, rubbinge it well with your handes, and leaue it so the space of an houre: and hauinge taken it out, wring it, and stretch it abroad, & tight it. Than take the grai|nes or berries of Nerprum, gathered in Iuly, whan thei be yet greene: drie them, and stampe them well, adding therto for euery skinne, two vnces of Roche Alom bea|ten in poulder, and mingled with the poulder of y^[...] saied berries or graines. Than powre vpon the sayd poulder boylinge water, and let it coole, this doen, poure of the sayd water with the said graines vpon the skinne, rub|binge it well ouer with the palme of youre hande, than stiep the ashes of goates donge, in the water of the said graines, and with the same water rubbe likewise the skin well with youre hande, after this washe him, and scrape out the water with a tanners paring knife, than tight him out, and take other ripe gaines of sap grene and set them to seeth, hole, in water with Roch Alom, and afterwarde let them coole. Than take of the sayde sodden berries or graines, and rub the skin with theim with your handes, and put of the ashes vpon it, which you shall stiep in the same greene water, that the sayed berries were sodden in. Finallye, you shall wasshe the skin, and take out the water with a scraping knife, tha~ berries were sodden in. Finallye, you shall wasshe the skin, and take out the water with a scraping knife, tha~ you shall geue it a course ouer of the saied grene water with a brush or clout meet for such a purpose: And than lay him to drie, and trim him, and you shall haue a fair grene. If you will haue the coloure darcker, or sadder, whan you set the said graines to seeth with the Alom, you shall put to it a little Indicum well brayed. And you must note, that the water must be hote whan you stiepe the ashes in it, with the water of the graines of Nerpru~.
comments: nerprum is unknown; Roche Alom is rock alum; Indicum is Chrysanthemum indicum.
→To die skines greene with the flowres of Ireos.
TAke the fresshe flowres of Raphanitis, [Note: Ireos, a kind of floure de+luce called in latin R[...]|phaniti[...] ] or Ireos, and stampe them well, than take the drie graines or ber+ries of Nerprum, and with them stampe roche Alome, a reasonable quantitie, whereof a greate deale can do no hurte: put to it a little raine water, and mingle all this with the foresayd flowres stamped. Kepe this colour in some clene vessel, and than take the skinnes, being an|nointed, and washed as is aforsaid, and put to them the graines of sap grene with the ponlder, in the same ma|ner that we haue spoken of the other: washe them, and scrape of the water with a knife, and so let them drye, and geue them one wipe ouer finely with the sayed co|lour that you kept, let them drie again, then dresse them according to the science, and you shal haue fair leather.
comment: Ireos is Raphanitis or Iris illyrica, the sword lily; roche Alome is rock alum; graines of sap grene is are most likely buckthorn berries.
→To die bones in a turkishe or redde colour.
ALl kinde of bones may well be died and coloured, but hartes horne is farre better then anye other. Take than what bone you will, & shape him into what forme you please, and pullish him, and then boyle him in Roche Alome water a good while, letting him after+ward drie, than take good grene, and stiep it in goates pisse, and put it in some copper or brasen vessell, well couered, and hide it vnder a dongehil the space of .xv. or xx. dayes, and then shall you finde it verye fayre. You may make the like also with the brine of a man in stede of the goates pysse. And for to make it redde, put in Ci|nabrium, or Brasyll, in steade of greene: but than you must put it in some vessell of wood or glasse, and not of copper nor brasse.
comments: Roche Alome is alum; grene is most likely buckthorn berries; Cinabrium or vermillion is mercury sulfide; Brasyll is brasil-wood.
→To die hogges brystels and other things, for to make rubbers and brusshes.
FIrste wash well the brystels, the~ take water wherin Roche Alom hath ben boyled, and put the sayd bristels ther|in, and let them lye vntill they take a coloure somewhat yellow: than take Chickeweede well stamped, and put it in Vyneaygre. Afterwarde sette a kettle with cleere water on the fyre, wherinto you shal caste the saied Chickeweede, with the Vyneaygre and all, and whan it beginneth to boyle, cast in the brystels, and let them seeth but a very lyttle whyle, than take of the kettle from the fyre, and let it coole, and so shall you haue your bristels of an excellent good colour.
comments: Roche Alom is alum; Chickeweede is Rubia tinctorum or common or dyer's madder; Vyneaygre is vinegar.
→To dye the saied bristels yellowe, greene, or blewe, or any other colour.
FIrste you must wasshe them, and let theym boyle in Alome water, as the other before: than take Ligustrum, and saffron, if you will haue them yellowe. Indicum, or the iuyce of elder berries, or walwort, or els of the flow+ers of Ireos, if you will haue them blew. If you wil haue them greene, take paynters greene, and dresse them as is aboue saied, assayinge sometime if the coloure please you. And by this meanes you maye dye theim what co|lour you liste.
comments: Alome is alum; Ligustrum is a type of privet; Indicum is Chrysanthemum indicum; walwort is walewort or European dwarf elder; Ireos is Raphanitis or Iris illyrica.
From the book of secrets by Ruscelli, Girolamo (1558) The secretes of the reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemount Containyng excellent remedies against diuers diseases, woundes, and other accidents, with the manner to make distillations, parfumes, confitures, diynges, colours, fusions and meltynges. Translated out of Frenche into Englishe, by Wyllyam Warde. Digital copy from Early English Books Online (EEBO) at http://eebo.chadwyck.com/home
The first is a link to an exerpt of the pdf about the dye recipes of the Alexis.
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/ld.html#d2
http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/leather.pdf
More Alexis dye recipes, and lots more about medieval dyeing, is available here:
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/dyes/alexis.html
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