Jain Journal 1970 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 27

APRIL, 1970
221
insect product and was used in dying valuable shawls. There is another interesting story of a Persian merchant in Brhad Kathākoša. In the Prakrit commentary the following story about its origin is quoted. In the country of the Carmaranga Mlecchas, it was a custom to draw out human blood with leeches and collect it in vessels. After a few days, weevils were produced which yielded the kşmirāga for dying shawls. There is another interesting story of a Persian merchant in the Brhad Kathākosa in which he buys a girl, feeds her for six months and draws her blood with leeches and produces kļmirāga insect thereby. From these it can be surmised that the production of carmine was a closely guarded secret and that it was not an Indian product. Probably the people of Samarkand and Persia had the monopoly of its production.
The Arabs called a red insect dyestuff kermas. This Arabic definition was taken over into medieval Latin in the form of the adjective Kernasinum, from which the Italian Cremisino, the French Cramoisie and the English Crimson.
The kermes is tied in a piece of cotton cloth with the pathānilodh and bujnuk. It is allowed to soak in water for the whole night. Afterwards, it is boiled on slow fire and then strained. When the water has evaporated the residue should be mixed with very acid curd (dahi). If black shaded carmine is desired, no curd should be added.
Blue
Symbolically and aesthetically, the colour blue has appealed to Indian mind. Its various shades have been extensively and beautifully used in the Indian painting.
Indigo. The medieval texts on painting acclaim indigo being the chief blue of the painter. It was extracted from a certain plant known as Indigoferae. It was primarily used as dye, but was also used as blue pigment. Its use is apparent in the palm-leaf manuscripts of Western India.
Ultramarine azure (rājāvarta, lazvard) There is evidence to show that blue was extracted from the lapis lazuli in quite early times. The lapis lazuli, from which ultramarine blue was extracted, is almost exclusively found in Badakhsan and Persia. The stone was imported from Persia, and perhaps, the colour was also imported from Persia readymade as no process of its manufacture is mentioned in Sanskrit texts. In the palm-leaf period of Western Indian painting ultramarine blue