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Sun, 17 May 1998 19:49:50 -0700 |
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>At 05:53 PM 5/15/98 EDT, you wrote:
>> Yes, the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico use the Purpura patula
>>pansa in dying their yarns for weaving. But, instead of destroying the
>>animals, like the Romans & Middle Eastern peoples did, the Zapotecs remove
>>the animal, squeeze the "juice" from the mantle and return the animal to
>>its rock, to be harvested again the following year.
>------------------------------
>Dear Dan:
>I know I read about this once before--it may have been in one of Dr.
>Tucker's books--but my understanding was that the indians allowed the shells
>to secrete their juice on the outward-bound trip in the morning, then
>collected more of the secretion on the way home in the evening. Are you
>sure that it is done only once a year?
> Also, do you know if the natives are still using this kind of dye?
>Or has it given way to artificial products as everthing else has?
>Thanks,
>Stew Jones
Stew,
As you probably guessed, this procedure is very time consuming so
most of the women are now buying pre-made cloth that is a similar purple
color, but, there still are a few "Dye-Hards" that are still dying in this
way. If you can find this kind of purple cloth (woven) you have a real
treasure. I don't know of the inward-outward bound story. Interesting?
Dan
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Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
Eureka, California
95503-6018
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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