Annotation Plans

My main annotation will be about textiles and dyeing in MS Fr. 640. The questions I hope to address include:

• There are relatively few dye recipes in MS Fr. 640, compared to casting or pigment recipes, so my first question will be why is dyeing included in this collection?
• What is being dyed (cloth, wool, silk, leather, fur)?
• What knowledge is expected, or tacit, versus what is included?
• Are the recipes on dye he is including successful?
• Are they commonly used methods, found in other books, or are they unusual?
• Can I find examples of textiles dyed in this manner (I don't expect so, since few extant garments have been scientifically tested)?

I am also interested in the way that the author-practitioner writes about textiles and textile merchants, he seems to have a keen interest in the prices of finished and unfinished textiles, and includes this information near recipes on dyeing, suggesting that he was acquiring this information from someone in the trade. He also mentions accountancy practices in relation to textile merchants, reminding us that textiles were among the most valuable goods in early modern Europe, and that much European growth was driven by the textile trade.

Plan of action:

I would like to try 38v - dying black: "take lye made from quicklime and white lead, mix and leave to soak and you will have a dark brown dye, and reiterating the same you will make black. Try other colours with the lye made of lime"

My first experiment will be with this black. Then I will follow the manuscript's instructions to use this method of 'lye made of lime' to dye other colors, as mentioned in other recipes.

2) Collaborative annotation on 'Against nose bleeding and for dyeing' on 38v with Robin.
Questions: What color does dragon's blood produce? Do the medicinal properties relate to the cultural importance or use of this color?


Ms. Fr. 640 Recipes

Recipes from other sources

Secondary source research

Plan for research

Materials required

Safety Protocol and Annotation Notes (in draft format)

Annotation Notes