lac dye

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Lac dye

Extracted from the lac insect, Laccifer Llacca or Coccus lacca and then precipitated with aluminium hydroxide;

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 36020
Chemical description: made from Coccus Lacta, laccaic acid. Kremer PDF
Color: red
Color Index: NR25

Lac dye—extracted from the resinous secretions of the Kerria lacca insect—has been one of the most valued organic reds in artistic and craft traditions across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Its history spans more than two millennia, evolving from a luxury material in ancient cultures to a widely traded commodity that influenced textile production, manuscript illumination, and global commerce.

Originating primarily in India and Southeast Asia, lac dye was produced by processing the encrustations left on host trees by lac insects. Once purified, the dye yielded rich hues ranging from crimson to deep pink, depending on mordants and binders. Lac’s brilliant solubility in water and its ability to bond to fibers made it a prized colouring material for textiles. It was extensively used in India, where dyed silks and cottons became major trade goods moving westward along maritime routes.

By antiquity and the Islamic Golden Age, lac dye had reached the Middle East, where it was used in textiles, leather, and decorative arts. In medieval Europe, it became a vital pigment for manuscript illumination and panel painting, often applied as a transparent glaze or lake pigment. Its luminous, warm red made it one of the preferred colours for garments, highlights, and devotional imagery. Renaissance artists integrated lac lakes into layered techniques, combining them with mineral reds to achieve depth and vibrancy.
Synthetic dyes in the 19th century displaced natural lac.