Craft Report

The fact that our clothes have color isn’t very amazing to us today but way back in history being able to dye clothes, fur, yarn and so much more wasn’t as common.   Although the earliest written records of human-made dyes was in 2600 B.C.E. in China, the earliest evidence of the use of dyestuff was red thread that had bone beads strung on it, which was found in 6000 B.C.E. in Catal Huyuk, Turkey.   Evidence of dyers wasn’t just found in Turkey, they were also found all over the world from France to Italy to the Middle East and beyond.
The booming of dyer’s trade started in 1096 but actual Dyer’s Guild didn’t start until the 1300s.   In 1193, there were two guilds, “Arte della Lana” which was the Weavers’ Guild and “Arte della Callemala” which was the Merchants’ Guild.   They put the dyers in a state of complete dependence.   In 1260, the dyers were given permission to make a guild from the Duke of Athens.   But the situation of the dyers was very complicated.   Even though the Florentine clothing was loved by many because of its color, the dyers didn’t get any share of the prosperity.   The Florentine was a famous family of dyers.   Eventually the dyers formed a religious brotherhood in a church of San Onofrio and held meetings there in 1280.   Then in 1301 a law was passed that caused more problems for the dyers.   The law stated, materials that weren’t dyed correctly would be burned and both the dyer and the person who ordered the cloth would be fined.   Since dyers back then were usually poor, they had to pay the fine by cutting off one of their hands.   Because of this, the dyers were considered the poorest laborers and placed on the same level as their own apprentices.  
In 1371, Florence Italy was in the middle of a war and the imbalance between the cost of living and low wages caused the common people including the dyers to revolt.   The dyers took a stand and refused to work for the Weavers’ Guild.   Six years later the people of Florence overthrew their ruler and...