Dye pigment
Woad blue
Woad leaves → Woad blue
Picture to come.
Blue dye from the leaves of woad, the main source of blue in medieval Europe. The leaves were crushed and fermented, then steeped in a vat where cloth was dipped; the blue develops as the cloth meets the air. Woad needs no mordant. It was grown in England, notably later in Lincolnshire and Somerset, and was also imported in quantity from France.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
The scale of English woad growing in the 12th century, as against imports, is uncertain; details of vat practice are generalised.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · jennydean.co.uk
Made by
- Ferment a woad vat
Used to make
- Dye cloth