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The color of passion, anger and love – red, has also long been associated with strength and primal energy, with guilt and sin, courage and sacrifice. Red warns us of danger and catches our attention when mostly needed. To this day, the color of blood has a significant meaning in our culture. Throughout the past the color red has been one of the most important and valued shades. In Ancient Egypt the color of an object signified its essence and substance, red was the color of victory and life, anger and fire. Egyptians used Madder, cochineal and red-producing lichen to dye the red-colored textiles found in the Old Kingdom tombs of the Nile Valley.
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One of the most valuable and powerful natural red colorants is the cochineal bug which gives the carmine shade. It offers the most vibrant and permanent shade of all natural colorants. For several centuries carmine was in high demand throughout Europe thus becoming the color of royalty, nobility and church officials. It is much more concentrated than the traditional red dyes of madder root, kermes and brazilwood. For several centuries, carmine was the most important insect dye used in coloring hand-woven oriental kilims. Michelangelo, Johannes Vermeer and Tintoretto used cochineal carmine to achieve dramatic color effects all through the 16th and 17th centuries. The cochineal insect dye gave Catholic cardinals their vibrant red robes as well as the English Redcoats: their signature carmine uniform. To this day, it is believed that the English chose the distinct color to conceal the scarlet blood that stained the soldiers’ uniforms. It is also the signature color of the Hussars, the Turks and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
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The color red has a very strong and significant meaning in all cultures but it often varies in application and interpretation. In China and India, the color is used as the main bridal shade, signifying purity and sexuality. It is also the color of wealth, beauty and the goddess Lakshmi. In Japan, red is the traditional color used for heroic figures. Before the introduction of the cochineal carmine red, Kermes insects were used to derive red color from. Despite the similarity in color and intensity, the Mediterranean-based Kermes red was way less effective than cochineal and once the discovery of the Americas introduced the carmine shade, Kermes fell out of favor.
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Cochineal red is derived from the cochineal insect which produces this carminic acid to protect itself against insect predators. The extraction process – often a source of controversy, was first developed bu the Aztec and Mayan people of Central and North America, where the insects’ natural cacti habitat is found. After Columbus’ discovery of the New Land, the dye was introduced in Europe but the source of the pigment was kept a secret until 18th century when a young friend botanist discovered the origin of the color. The deep red color is used to produce scarlet, orange and a wide variety of red shades. Today, this dye is widely used in cosmetics and food coloring. Natural dying started to diminish with the introduction of synthetic dyes in late 19th century.
