Turkey blue

English

From the manner of preparing indigo practiced in the Ottoman Empire ("Turkey"). Doublet of turquoise blue.

Turkey blue (countable and uncountable, plural Turkey blues)

(obsolete) A deep blue obtained by careful application of indigo dye to silk.
- 1810, "Dyeing", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 4th ed., Vol. VII, §§300–302:
  Silk is dyed blue with indigo alone, without any proportion of woad... with ſix pounds of bran, and about twelve ounces of madder... half a pound of madder for each pound of potaſh, renders the vat greener, and produces a more fixed colour in the ſilk... it is wrung out, and expoſed to the air, that the green colour may change to a blue... Some addition is required to be made to the indigo, to give ſilk a deep blue... For the Turkey blue, which is the deepeſt, a ſtrong bath of archil is firſt prepared. Conchineal is alſo ſometimes uſed, inftead of archil, for the ground, to render the colour more permanent.
- 1815, Thomas Cooper, Practical Treatise on Dyeing and Callicoe Printing..., page 252:
  The blues are divided by dyers into five, light blue, sky blue, middle blue, king's blue, Turkey blue. The two last require a previous ground of archil.
Turkey blue:
(obsolete) An item dyed Turkey blue.
- 1818, C.W. Rőrdansz, European Commerce..., page 683:
  The bales for the Tunis market should be assorted as under... 9 pieces Turkey blues [per] 50 pieces...

Turkey blue (comparative more Turkey blue, superlative most Turkey blue)