Boruca Art, the Colors of Nature

Boruca colors, puravida, costaballenalovers, ballenatales (1)

By Susie Atkinson – Ellen Hoël

Did you know that a great source for natural dyes can be found right in your own yard? Leaves, roots, nuts, flowers, barks, berries, lichen, and fungi are sources of natural colors.
Yellow, orange, blue, red, green, brown, and grey are all on the color pallet used for dyeing fabric or yarns.

The essential process of dyeing has changed little over time. Typically, the dye material is put in a pot of water and the yarns to be dyed are added to the pot with water, which is heated and stirred until the color is transferred.

Many natural dyes require the use of mordants to bind the dye to the textile fibers. The ones used by the Borucans are salt or lime/mandarin orange.

The examples in the photos are as follows.Orange is from the seeds of the achiote bush (Bixa orellana).
Yellow is from the rhizomes of the Turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) that is smashed and can become fixed and more vibrant with the addition of lime. Green is from the leaves of Gavilana (Neurolaena Lobata) that are boiled for several days to get the green color. Blue is from the leaves of Azul de Mata (Justicia tinctoria), similar to indigo.

These are just a few of the sources of the the colors of nature used by the Borucans. A more extensive list can be seen on their website.

If a trip to the village of Boruca isn’t an option, then visit the Boruca Gallery Gift Shop at Pacific Edge Cabins in Dominicalito.

InFo: tel: 2200 5428 – www.borucacostarica.org

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