Name/Title
A perfect red : empire, espionage and the quest for the color of desireEntry/Object ID
TP925.C63.G7 2006Description
In the sixteenth century, one of the world's most precious commodities was cochineal, a legendary red dye treasured by the ancient Mexicans and sold in the great Aztec marketplaces, where it attracted the attention of the Spanish conquistadors. Shipped to Europe, the dye created a sensation, producing the brightest, strongest red the world had ever seen. Soon Spain's cochineal monopoly was worth a fortune. As the English, French, Dutch, and other Europeans joined the chase for cochineal -- a chase that lasted for more than three centuries -- a tale of pirates, explorers, alchemists, scientists, and spies unfolds. A Perfect Red evokes with style and verve this history of a grand obsession, of intrigue, empire, and adventure in pursuit of the most desirable color on earth.Acquisition
Source (if not Accessioned)
Marilyn BotjerNotes
Gift of Marilyn Botjer, July 2025.Lexicon
Search Terms
cochineal--history, dyes and dyeing--mexico--history, dyes and dyeing--textile fibers--europe, redBook Details
Author
Amy ButlerPublisher
Harper PerennialDate Published
2006ISBN
0060522763 , 9780060522766Notes
Length: 338General Notes
Note Type
ContentsNote
The color of desire -- The dyer's lot -- The color of the sun -- An ancient art -- The emperor's new dye -- A profitable empire -- Cochineal on trial -- Legacies -- Trade secrets -- Pirates' prize -- Wormberry -- Through the looking glass -- A curious gamble -- A spy in Oaxaca -- Anderson's incredible folly -- Red and revolution -- Scarlet fever -- A ump of coal -- Renissance dye -- Cheap color.