Skarlat

The first mentioning of textile dyes of saturated scarlet tones meets in the Persian and Assyrian letters which are subsidized even the eighth century B.C.

In Ancient Rome crimson cloths were on the second place on prestigiousness, after lilac color which held superiority and was considered as the most worthy color for the emperor. Fabric skarlat was considered as a prerogative of the predominating top and officers.

The church decree of 1295 attributed obligatory carrying skarlat for all cardinals. The same color was read by monarchical persons and the nobility. Since ancient times the crimson dye symbolized the power, luxury, the high status, and during an era of the Middle Ages was associated more with passion and defect, than with wealth.

Later color skarlat found popularity again - having become traditional for the British aristocracy, it was present at military regimentals and at ceremonial attires of the House of Lords.

Even it is possible to purchase an analog ancient samples in salons of fabrics or in the textile markets now.

Production of cloth

Valuable flandriysky cloth was produced at first from local wool, and after the 12th century began to use thin English wool and merino. In the majority cloth was weaved using a twill weave in three threads, and for development used uniform yarn from combed fibers. All technology process of production of the skarlat was separated more than into twenty highly specialized transactions. For material there was characteristic a "closed" surface (when behind a wool flooring not considerably of the drawing of an interlacing), such effect was reached thanks to extension, backcombing, hairstyles and drops of surface woolen fabric.

Coloring of a cloth

To color a cloth, used an American grape - it is a small insect who lives on those sorts of an oak which grow in areas with the warmest climate. The pigment for coloring had bright red color and was considered as incredibly valuable, skillful dyers of Rome used it in large numbers for receiving expensive crimson textiles. The surprising fact – In Spain an American grape could be paid taxes. Since the ninth century to the fourteenth the lion share of all painting raw materials arrived from Germany – local monasteries had to collect an American grape, the authorities assigned to them this duty, and collecting was always followed by different religious practices.

For production of dyes previously dried up young insects were used. Dyes which received from an American grape connected to aluminous pickle and colored wool in crimson and bright red color. Unlike the fabrics colored by the cochineal insect, colored an American grape skarlat under the influence of sweat, soap or weak alkaline solution^[1] did not change].

The most net shade scarlet was called Venetian, it was made by dyers only of one guild, and the recipe of structure was kept the most strict secret. Because of labor input of production and high price of dye, skarlat was to the customer ten times more expensive, than fabric with similar raw composition, an interlacing and density of threads, but other color. For example, blue.

The cloth colored by an American grape repeatedly is mentioned in the Bible as the character of blood and the great victim.

Skarlat in Russia

In the Spiritual testament of the princess of Avdotya (Eudoxia) Ivanovna Shemyakina-Pronskaya 7073 (1564/65) years are said:

"... yes by Friday behind the swamp a fur coat scarlet chervchat and to Ivan Predoteche for Volot a fur coat skorlat chervchat".

Chervchaty - dark red color.

It is considered that in the 16th century women's fur coats were traditionally white, and only in the 17th their century began to cover with color fabrics. But apparently, such fur coat covered with red French fabric was also bequeathed by Avdotya Shemyakin-Pronskaya to the temple of Beheading of John the Forerunner near Bohr in Zarechye. This mentioning of the temple in the will of the princess became the first reliable source in the history of this church.

Notes