SECONDARY COLOURS

Grey-Black (‘Udi) - عودی

Two techniques are described in Persian historical treatises to make black grey (ʾudī) colour:

  1. Mixture of blue indigo and lac.

  2. Mixture of green (yellow safflower and indigo) with gall-nut and blue vitriol
    ʾUdī dye is described in four sources.

Rose Pink (gol-gun) - گلگون

Three techniques is described in Persian historical treatises to make rose pink (gol-gun):

  1. Mixture of lac and saffron.

  2. Extract of safflower

  3. Mixture of redwood and white ceruse.

Orange (nārenjī) - نارنجی

Four techniques for preparing orange dye are mentioned in historical treatises:

  1. Red safflower and saffron in two methods: single and double dye bath

  2. Turmeric and red safflower extract

  3. Pomegranate bark and red safflower extract.

  4. Alum and red safflower

Green (Sabz) - سبز

In many sources, different methods to obtain a green dye with different terms related to different shades are explained.

  • Mixture of yellow safflower (zardāb) and blue indigo (kabood).

  • Mixture of yellow safflower (zardāb), blue indigo (kaboodak) and saffron.

Fariseh Green ( farīseh) - فریسه

Farīseh is a kind of blue-green colour. In four sources, one method is explaied to obtain a blue- green farīseh dye:

  • Mixture of gall (māzu) extract with blue indigo (kabudak) or possibly blue turnesole.

Iris Blue (susanī) - سوسنی

Iris blue (susanī) is a kind of blue-green colour. Two techniques are described for greenish blue shade of susanī.

  1.  Dipping dark indigo paper in red safflower dye.

  2. Mixing yellow and blue dye in high concentation for long period

Malachite Green (marmarī) - مرمری  

The green shade similar to malachite is referred to as marmarī in Persian; the term refers to the color and not the mineral. Two techniques are mentioned for obtaining this malachite green (marmarī) using two different yellow colouring flowers:

  1. First technique using gol-e balas (butea frondosa, Butea monosperma) and blue indigo.

  2. Second technique using gol-e zabān dar qafā (delphinium semibarbatum) and alkali sodium carbonate.