The significance and provenance of natural colours of dyed textiles within the Winti culture of Suriname pre-1850: An investigation of cultural influe
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Culture & Creative Arts
Abstract
How can chemical analysis deepen the understanding of the provenance of sacred Winti coloursin the
woven textiles (pangi) of Suriname?
This main research question will be answered by addressing the following research enquiries:
1. Collating reliable primary and secondary sources on Afro-Surinamese textile dyeing, Winti
colours and their cultural influences pre-1850.
2. Identification of natural dye and textile resources and dyeing techniques available to the AfroSurinamese population employed to obtain the colours red, blue, white, black, yellow, and
green on cotton in Suriname in the pre-synthetic era.
3. Analysis of the chemical properties of Winti colours made from natural dyes using traditional
dyeing methods in extant pre-synthetic pangis.
4. An investigation of the historically significant colours (red, white, blue, black, yellow, and
green) in Winti textiles and their correlation to noteworthy colours in respective Amerindian,
sub-Saharan African, and Western (colonial) textiles and exchanged practices.
5. Reproduction of traditional methods in a controlled laboratory environment to investigate the
shades, fastness properties and chemical characteristics of the historically, significant colours
observed in Winti.
woven textiles (pangi) of Suriname?
This main research question will be answered by addressing the following research enquiries:
1. Collating reliable primary and secondary sources on Afro-Surinamese textile dyeing, Winti
colours and their cultural influences pre-1850.
2. Identification of natural dye and textile resources and dyeing techniques available to the AfroSurinamese population employed to obtain the colours red, blue, white, black, yellow, and
green on cotton in Suriname in the pre-synthetic era.
3. Analysis of the chemical properties of Winti colours made from natural dyes using traditional
dyeing methods in extant pre-synthetic pangis.
4. An investigation of the historically significant colours (red, white, blue, black, yellow, and
green) in Winti textiles and their correlation to noteworthy colours in respective Amerindian,
sub-Saharan African, and Western (colonial) textiles and exchanged practices.
5. Reproduction of traditional methods in a controlled laboratory environment to investigate the
shades, fastness properties and chemical characteristics of the historically, significant colours
observed in Winti.