History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.1

v1.c20.1

Man is a lover of beauty. He likes to add colour to the objects around or change their colours to make them look more beautiful and delightful to the eye. Colour is defined as a quality which can be cognised only by the eyes¹. The moment any object is seen, the eyes are first attracted to its colour. Hence, ever since the dawn of civilization, man was inclined to make different objects more pleasing by painting them with beautiful colours and by dyeing a few objects like fabrics etc. in delightful colouring materials. Painting and dyeing have got their utilitarian value also. They protect the surface from getting affected in changing atmospheric conditions, hide the defects on the surface of different objects like structural walls, cloth, hair, etc., and prevent metals from getting corroded.