CRAFT STORIES | EUROPE | HUNGARY & AUSTRIA | TEXTILES
Indigo Dyeing in Central Europe
Kath Griffiths delves into the Indigo dyeing techniques which arrived in Central Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, influenced by broader European indigo dyeing traditions that originated in Asia. This kind of craft is known as Kekfesto in Hungary and Blaudruck in Austria.
In the 1800s, blue dye fabrics were particularly popular in the villages and rural areas throughout parts of Central and Eastern Europe and were used for household linens and items of clothing including folk dress such as headscarves, finely pleated skirts and aprons. Darker indigo cloth was used for workwear. Industrialisation and mass production led to a decline in workshops all over Europe, fortunately it is not a lost art and a few workshops remain today having been passed down generations and still using the same spaces, equipment and techniques as their ascendants.
The traditional technique of indigo resist dyeing was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. The first step is the choosing the pattern. Most workshops have a library of patterns and more than one can be incorporated onto a single cloth, for example a border design surrounding a simple repetitive pattern.
The earliest printing blocks, still used by many of the workshops were fashioned by draughtsmen and made entirely of wood, at the end of the 18th century blocks were made by hammering brass wires and plates and even nails into the wood to produce finer patterns. Initially patterns were mainly Rococo in style; lots of twirling tendrils and floral designs, later patterns were influenced by folk crafts, one can find pattern representing weaving patterns such as damask or folk cross stitch patterns taken from folk embroidery. More recent patterns include geometric designs, stripes and florals.
A waxy substance is applied to printing blocks which are then used to print the resist pattern onto the already washed and dried cloth. Once the resist substance has been applied, the cloth is repeatedly immersed in vats of dye until the desired colour is achieved, sometime up to 14 immersions. After dyeing, comes rinsing, and the removal of the resist paste, revealing the original fabric color which stands out against the dyed indigo background. The cloth is then starched (if cotton) dried and put through a mangle. The workshops mostly work with cotton fabrics but some workshops will dye home-loomed vintage hemp or linen provide by the customer.
Karl and Maria Wagner run one of two remaining blue-dye workshop in Austria. Situated in Bad Leonfelden, it was established by Karl's great grandfather in 1878 and they still use much of the original equipment in the same location. They print using hand blocks and have an array of around 300 patterns to choose from. They use a synthetic dye with the same molecular structure as indigo but unlike indigo it doesn’t fade in sunlight they can print on customers own fabrics including vintage linen.
One of a few remaining blue-dye workshops in Hungary is the family-run business founded by the Skorutyák family in 1879. Following the death of János Skorutyák, Zoltan Bakos, a long term apprentice of Janos, took over the running of the workshop and was awarded the 'Master of Folk Art' in 2015. Zoltan prints by hand with an extensive range of patterns from old blocks. He dyes using a synthetic dye or indigo on request.
Words by Kath Griffiths
Images by Kelagwaschnig and Bácsalmási Kékfestő Műhely
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