Tannins found in bark are good sources of brown earth tones. Hemlock yields a rich reddish-brown dye. Subsequent dipping in a copper/ammonia bath will overdye the brown yarn to yield a warm black color.
Most of the test yarns in this display were dyed from various barks by Haida weaver Patty Fiorella. Her large brown skein suffered brittleness, an issue weavers have sometimes mentioned. Several old robes in museum collections also show disintegration of brown yarns. A combination of chemical analysis for old robes and hands-on experimentation by today’s experienced weavers may well diagnose the cause of this problem.
Synthetic Dyes
Four robes tested from the Alaska State Museum collection show strong evidence of synthetic black dyes (II-B-1441, II-B-1744, II-B-1841 and 91-7-1). Analine dyes became commercially available around 1860, indicating that “traditional” Chilkat dyes likely included synthetics.
Innovative Dye Sources
Several ancestral weavers, including Jennie Thlunaut and Eliza Mork, have mentioned using boiled Hershey bar wrappers or brown crepe paper to acquire brown dyes, demonstrating ongoing innovation with whatever new materials were available.
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Large skein of hemlock-dyed brown, somewhat brittle, from Patty Fiorella. There are historic robes with brown yarns that are disintegrating. Some references suggest this is due to iron in the dye, but our research suggests at least some of these browns contain no iron. Could it be the bark or the ammonia? Kay Field Parker has experienced brittle yarn from hemlock bark dye as well. Experimentation in summer 2021 hopes to investigate further.
Jar of hemlock bark.
Jar of 2018 hemlock bark, rain water, ammonia dyebath from Kay Field Parker.
Jar of copper/ammonia solution.
Jar of Labrador tea leaves from Sophie Lager.
Jar of red osier dogwood bark.
Jar of alder bark.
Yarn: “hemlock bark, rainwater, ammonia” from Kay Field Parker.
Yarn “9-hr young hemlock bark w/ baking soda 15 min, warm soapy tap water rinse” from Patty Fiorella.
Yarn “9-hr young hemlock bark, 1 hr plain ammonia, Warm soapy tapwater rinse” from Patty Fiorella.
Yarn (pair) “15-hour hemlock bark, ½ hr 1 y/o ammonia/copper, Saltwater rinse” from Patty Fiorella.
Yarn “6?-hr false huckleberry (rusty menziesia) bark, ½ hr plain ammonia, saltwater rinse” from Patty Fiorella.
Patty Fiorella did a great deal of experimentation with bark dyes in the summer of 2020. Her mini-skeins are looped in groups with color-coded ties: yellow = tree bark, purple = berry bush bark, green = shrub bark.
Not pictured: Vintage Hershey bar wrapper. Historically, weavers like Jennie Thlunaut and Eliza Mork have mentioned boiling Hershey bar wrappers for brown dyes. Brown crepe paper has also been mentioned.
All unattributed materials listed come from the Alaska State Museum conservation lab and include the after-hours activities of conservator Ellen Carrlee.
