A Study on the Reproduction of Korean Traditional Purple Dyeing Methods Using Records of Redroot Gromwell in the Late Joseon Dynasty

Based on records of redroot gromwell in the late Joseon Dynasty, spanning the mid eighteenth to mid nineteenth centuries, this study examines traditional purple dyeing methods and investigates the ideal color produced through redroot gromwell dyeing. Through experimental research, this study seeks to identify directions for reproducing traditional purple dyeing techniques. The experiments were designed on the basis of Sangbangjeonglye (尙方定例) and Gyuhapchongseo (閨閤叢書), which provide relatively detailed records of the quantities of materials used in redroot gromwell dyeing. To extract pigment using water, crushed redroot gromwell was kneaded in water. The amount of redroot gromwell used in Sangbangjeonglye, a royal record, was approximately 33% greater than that recorded in Gyuhapchongseo, a civil text. In Gyuhapchongseo, cases in which sappan wood was used in combination with redroot gromwell are also documented. Although plums are recorded in Sangbangjeonglye, they do not appear in Gyuhapchongseo. This difference suggests that pH levels may have been adjusted more precisely in royal dyeing practices by controlling the proportions of plum liquid and Asian sweetleaf lye to achieve the desired color for royal uses.