indigo

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Indigo

It was used in European easel painting since the Middle Ages. Marco Polo (13th century) was the first to report on the preparation of indigo in India.

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 36005 (V.1); Kremer / 36000 (V.2)
Chemical description: fermented extract from the leaves of indigofera tinctoria, precipitated with aluminium hydroxide. Kremer PDF
Color: blue
Color Index: NB1
More info: Pigments Through The Ages Colourlex

Indigo is one of the most enduring and culturally significant dyes in human history. Extracted from the leaves of various Indigofera species—and, in some regions, from woad (Isatis tinctoria)—indigo has been used for thousands of years across Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Its discovery marked a turning point in colour production: unlike mineral pigments, indigo offered a stable, intense blue that bonded directly to textiles, allowing colour to become both portable and widespread.

In ancient Egypt, indigo-dyed textiles were prized for clothing and funerary wrappings. Across the Indian subcontinent, it became central to textile traditions, from block-printed fabrics to elaborate dye-resist techniques. By the time of the Silk Road, indigo was a major trade good, reaching Greece, Rome, and the Middle East, where it coloured garments, tapestries, and decorative arts.

During the Middle Ages, indigo—often replaced locally by woad—was essential in manuscript illumination. In Asia, Japanese artists developed aizome, a refined indigo-dyeing tradition that shaped textiles and decorative crafts for centuries.

The pigment’s global impact intensified during the Early Modern period. Indigo cultivation and trade transformed economies, fashion, and artistic practices, though its history is also intertwined with colonial exploitation. By the 19th century, synthetic indigo revolutionized dye chemistry and dramatically expanded its use.

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