| Edition |
First edition. |
| Description |
viii, 338 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-318) and index. |
| Summary |
This book recounts the colorful history of cochineal, a legendary red dye that was once one of the world's most precious commodities. Treasured by the ancient Mexicans, cochineal was sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Shipped to Europe, the dye created a sensation, producing the brightest, strongest red the world had ever seen. Soon Spain's cochineal monopoly was worth a fortune. Desperate to find their own sources of the elusive dye, the other Europeans tried to crack the enigma of cochineal. Did it come from a worm, a berry, a seed? Could it be stolen from Mexico and transplanted to their own colonies? Pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies--all joined the chase for cochineal, a chase that lasted more than three centuries.--From publisher description. |
| Contents |
Prologue : the color of desire -- 1. dyer's lot -- 2. color of the sun -- 3. ancient art -- 4. emperor's new dye -- 5. profitable empire -- 6. Cochineal on trial -- 7. Legacies -- 8. Trade secrets -- 9. Pirates' prize -- 10. Wormberry -- 11. Through the looking glass -- 12. curious gamble -- 13. spy in Oaxaca -- 14. Anderson's incredible folly -- 15. Red and revolution -- 16. Scarlet fever -- 17. lump of coal -- 18. Renaissance dye -- Epilogue : cheap color. |
| Subject |
Cochineal -- History.
|
|
Dyes and dyeing -- Textile fibers -- Europe -- History.
|
|
Dyes and dyeing -- Mexico -- History.
|
|
Cochineal insect.
|
| ISBN |
0060522755 (acid-free paper) |
|
9780060522759 (acid-free paper) |
|
