Indigo
A blue dye derived from the Indigofera plant, traded across the Sahara for centuries. The blue in Tuareg robes that stains the skin. One of the most permanent natural dyes.
Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria and related species) produces a deep, rich blue that ranges from near-black to mid-sky depending on concentration and mordanting. It was not grown in Morocco in significant quantities, most indigo arrived as a trade commodity across trans-Saharan routes, connecting Morocco to West African and ultimately Indian production sources.
In Amazigh weaving, indigo appears in both flatweave and pile-knotted pieces across all major regions. Its characteristic deep blue, often appearing as almost black in older, concentrated applications, is one of the anchor colours in the Amazigh palette alongside undyed ivory and ochre.
Indigo behaves distinctively with age: well-preserved old indigo often develops a slight sheen, sometimes described as a "silvery" quality, as the dye oxidises at the surface of the fibre. This patina is a sign of age and genuine natural dyeing, not degradation.
