‘<i>Indigo</i> is a journey in every sense of the word, and one undertaken with an engaging passion. It is also, in the words of Miles Davis, Kind of Blue'

Mark Kurlansky

An eye-opening account of the controversial role this gorgeous, coveted pigment has played through the millennia<i><b> </b></i>

Elle

[Indigo] finds its significance not simply in indigo as a metaphor but in the real experience of African women whose hard labour is inseparable from the traditional rituals, magic rites, songs, laughter and landscapes which give the true richness to the fabrics coloured by indigo

The Times

Se alle

[McKinley's] discoveries resonate, and her unique experiences provide a vivid snapshot of the cultures she encountered in Africa

Washington Post

Imparts interesting information about the centrality of cloth to culture and the language of textile patterns, which is drenched in meaning invisible to the uninitiated

- Alastair Mabbott, Glasgow Herald

Indigo is one of the world's most valued pigments and in the passionate history Catherine McKinley determines the colour's spiritual significance, influence on fashion and relationship to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Spanning continents and centuries this book is rich in human connections and curious detail and includes a beguiling sub-plot in which the author reveals her own ancestral link to the precious dye

- Charlotte Vowden, Daily Express

____________________ 'An eye-opening account of the controversial role this gorgeous, coveted pigment has played through the millennia' - Elle '[McKinley's] discoveries resonate, and her unique experiences provide a vivid snapshot of the cultures she encountered in Africa' - Washington Post ____________________ Indigo is the rich, electrifying history of a precious dye: its relationship to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, its profound influence on fashion, and its spiritual significance - all very much alive today. But it is also the story of a personal quest: Catherine McKinley's ancestors include a clan of Scots who wore indigo tartan, several generations of Jewish 'rag traders' and Massachusetts textile factory owners, and African slaves who were traded along the same Saharan routes as indigo. Her journey takes her to nine West African countries and is resplendent with powerful lessons of heritage and history which shape the way she understands her world at home.
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A richly-told, personal quest across the ancient trade routes of West Africa, and the unforgettable story of a rare, luminuous colour
‘Indigo is a journey in every sense of the word, and one undertaken with an engaging passion. It is also, in the words of Miles Davis, Kind of Blue'
A richly-told, personal quest across the ancient trade routes of West Africa, and the unforgettable story of a rare, luminuous colour
A distinguished literary work that will appeal to cultural history enthusiasts, fashion buffs and reading groups

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781408822364
Publisert
2012-08-02
Utgiver
Vendor
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Vekt
202 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
256

Biographical note

Catherine McKinley is the author of The Book of Sarahs. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, where she has taught Creative Nonfiction, and a former Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, West Africa, where she began her research on indigo. She lives in New York City.