The DOBAG project started in 1981, led by Harald Boehmer, a German chemistry and biology teacher, in cooperation with the
Marmara University in Istanbul. He focused on chemical analyses of the dyes of antique woven carpets, such as those on display in Istanbul museums.
Use of synthetic dyes in Oriental carpets Synthetic
dyes were discovered in the late 19th century. Until then, wool used for weaving carpets was dyed with
traditional dyes made from plants, insects and minerals. Synthetic dyes were cheap and easy to use and thus replaced the traditional dyes soon after they were made widely available. Western art historians reported instability to light and moisture of carpets with synthetic dyes. The aesthetic effect in oriental carpets with synthetic colours was described by
A. Cecil Edwards as "having a hard, metallic look" and being "dull and dead". To be commercially successful, synthetically dyed carpets have to be chemically treated before they go on sale.
Analysis of natural dyes, and recreation of traditional dyeing procedures The analysis of carpet wool dyes was already suggested by Edwards in 1953 as a means of establishing the provenance of period carpets. In 1982, Boehmer published his work on antique carpet wool samples, using thin-layer
chromatography. By comparing chromatograms of samples of both carpet wool and plants known to have been used for dyeing, the natural dye components were identified, and the dyeing procedures experimentally recreated subsequently. The first demonstration of traditional dyeing techniques took place in some villages of the
Ayvacik area in
Çanakkale. The region was chosen because of its long, continuous carpet weaving tradition. Later, another branch of the project was initiated in the Yuntdağ region, south of
Bergama. Here, the first women cooperative in Turkey was established within the DOBAG Project.
DOBAG's approach to carpet manufacturing plant , Germany DOBAG carpets are woven with
Turkish knots. The carpets are made of hand spun sheep wool, dyed locally with natural dyes prepared according to the recipes as experimentally re-established. No chemical treatment is applied after the carpet has been finished. Dyes used for DOBAG carpets are obtained from plants and include: •
Red from
Madder (Rubia tinctorum) roots, •
Yellow from plants, including
Onion (Allium cepa), specific chamomile species (
Anthemis,
Matricaria chamomilla), and
Euphorbia, •
Black:
Oak apples,
Oak acorns, and
Tanner's sumach, •
Green by double dyeing with
Indigo and yellow dye. •
Orange by double dyeing with madder red and yellow dye. •
Blue: Synthetic Indigo is used because it is chemically identical to natural indigo gained from
Indigofera tinctoria. DOBAG carpets are delivered both with a leather tag and seal attached to the carpet for identification, as well as with a certificate stating the weaver's name, village, and region where the carpet was woven. DOBAG carpet weavers are paid per knot, thus ensuring a
fair wage system. Once a carpet has been sold, the weaver is granted an additional bonus. The commercial branch of the initiative directly exports the carpets to authorized dealers only, thus avoiding intermediate trade. Thus,
technically, the DOBAG project seeks to revive the tradition of Turkish carpet weaving. On a social level, the project aims at halting the effects of
urbanization by providing a continuous source of income to village women. == Impact of the DOBAG Project ==