Dye Plants Used by the Indigenous Peoples of the Amur River Basin on Fish Skin Artefacts

Bibliographic Data

ID13124802
AuthorsElisa Palomino (0000-0002-4496-3701, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume8
Issue6
Pages195-195
Publication date2025-05-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHeritage (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2571-9408 • E-ISSN: 2571-9408
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/heritage8060195
OpenAlexW4410865701
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited23

Research on fish skin artefacts’ dyeing practices among the Nivkh, Nanai, Ulchi, Udegei, Oroch, and Negidal Indigenous Peoples of the Amur River basin remains scarce. These fishing communities traditionally crafted fish skin garments, essential to their subsistence and spiritual life, adorning them with protective motifs. While artistic and cultural aspects of these belongings have been explored, their dyeing techniques remain understudied. This multidisciplinary research examines natural colourants in fish skin artefacts from international museum collections, using historical textual research, ethnographic records, Native Traditional Knowledge, and previous dye analysis by museum conservators. Findings reveal a restricted but meaningful palette of red, blue, yellow, and black colourants, sourced from plants, minerals, and organic materials. Early dyers extracted blue from indigotin-rich plants such as Polygonum tinctorium, or from Commelina communis petals. Red hues were obtained from Carthamus tinctorius petals, introduced through Silk Route trade networks, or from minerals like red ochre. Black was derived from carbon black, while riverine minerals were ground with dry fish roe diluted with water to create additional colour variations. This study first reviews fish skin use in Amur River Indigenous cultures, explores nineteenth-century dyeing materials and techniques, and finally considers broader implications for Indigenous material heritage

Archaeology · Biology · Cartography · Drainage basin · Fish · Fishery · Geography · Indigenous · Structural basin · Archaeological Research and Protection · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Ecology · Paleontology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access