Kermes extraction

Figure 9. TLC comparison of the red insect dyes in the Karabagh carpets, figures 7 and 8, after dissolving the dye extracts in different organic solvents. 1 and 2, extracts of the Karabagh carpet (figure 7) 1, soluble in ether 2, soluble in ethyl acetate + methanol 3 and 4, extracts of the Karabagh carpet (figure 8) 3, soluble in ether 4, soluble in ethyl acetate + methanol 5 and 6, extracts of Armenian cochineal S, soluble in ether 6, soluble in ethyl acetate + methanol 7, Polish cochineal 8, American cochineal 9, kermes 10, laccaic acids (XXVIII - XXXII) 11, erythrolaccin (XXXIII) 12, deoxyerythrolaccin (XXXTV).

Figure 12. Identification of the insect dyes in the Sicilian coronation robe (figure 10) and in the Tunicella (figure 11) by TLC comparison. Solvent butanone-2 - formic acid (7 3) 1-3, extracts of the three samples of dyeings of the coronation robe 1, red silk 2, lining material, filling threads 3, lining material, warp threads 4, red silk from the border material of the Tunicella 5, kermes 6, Polish cochineal 7, American cochineal 8, laccaic acids from lac dye.

Cochineal came to the European dyers from Mexico, and was obtained from the female insect of the species, Coccut cacti. It dyed a crimson shade on an aluminium mordant, and was very similar to Kermes, which was extracted from an insect native to Spain. Cochineal forms a very fine rimson on an aluminium mordant, and scarlet on tin oxide this was... 

Although the drift possibilities with the Apple tree are extensive and engaging, we are no nearer the solution. We must return to the start of the riddle find another drift or current that will lead to a solution. Fulcanelli hinted that we should specially note the Oak tree that nourishes the kerm. This is the Gaulish kerm-oak. It is the scarlet-oak or holly oak ascribed to Nergal and Mars. " The kerm of this tree is actually a scarlet female cochineal insect Coccus ilicis or Kermes vermilio from which the Greeks extracted royal scarlet dye. ... 

For thousands of years Man has made use of dried materials from plant or animal sources. In Chinese as well as European culture, these drugs were used - sometimes unaltered and sometimes as extracts - as remedies as well as for technical purposes. For example, kermes served both as a red dyestuff and as a drug for the treatment ofheart disease (Fig. 2.1). [1]... 

The dyestuff, which is also called scarlet or carmine, may be obtained from the dried female kermes scale-insects (various species, e.g. Kermes ver-milio and Kermococcus ilicis L.) by extraction with ethanol (Fig. 2.19). Ker-mesic acid serves as an ant repellent to these insects living on Kermes oaks Quercus coccifera) in the Mediterranean. [50] The Polish cochineal (Por-phyrophora polonica L.), which lives on the roots of a member of the carnation family (Perennial knawel, Scleranthusperennis), was first mentioned in 812 in Charlemagne s Capitulare. It was also known as Saint John s blood , because harvesting began by tradition on the feast-day of St John the Baptist (June 24) (Fig. 2.20). 

The extracted dyestuff of cochineal insects is principally carminic acid, however the P. polonica additionally contains small amounts of kermesic and flavokermesic acids as does P. hamelii to a lesser degree. As kermesic acid is the principal dyestuff of the kermes insect it is possible that this has led to some misattributions of cochineal lakes as kermes lakes. The smaller amount of kermesic acid in the Armenian cochineal has made this very difficult to distinguish from the New World cochineal (Kirby and White, 1996). Research by Wouters and Verhecken (1991) has shown that there are clear differences in the chemicals produced hy the two species and that the relative proportions of the dye precursers will allow us to distinguish between the various Porphyrophora. 

Kermesic acid is 9,10-dihydro-3,5,6,8-tetrahydroxy-l-methyl-9,10-dioxo-2-anthracenecarboxyhc acid the structure has been determined by GadgU et al. (1968). It is the principal compoimd foimd in dye extracted from the kermes insect Kermes vermilio Planchon and also, to a lesser extent, the so-called Pohsh cochineal insect Porphyrophorapolonica L. and to an even lesser extent the Armenian cochineal Porphyrophora hamelii Brandt. This consists principally of kermesic acid, although the related... 

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