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Evidence of Cochineal’s Use in Painting
- Journal of Interdisciplinary History
- The MIT Press
- Volume 45, Number 3, Winter 2015
- pp. 337-366
- Article
- Additional Information
The organic red dye known as cochineal has played a number of key roles in history, most important as a superb colorant for animal-based textiles, especially silks and woolens, with a great range of hues and shades from purple to coral. Coveted for more than two millennia, its reach ultimately extended over the globe, providing handsome revenues wherever it was traded.