Madder روناس

Madder (روناس, runas) is the red dye from the root of Rubia tinctorum, historically the commonest red in Persian carpets. One root gives a wide range of reds depending on the mordant, the wool, the age of the plant and additions such as dried yogurt or sour grape juice. Iran grew and exported madder for centuries; by the mid 20th century synthetic reds had largely replaced it in commercial production.

Also runas · ronas · roonas · madder red · Rubia tinctorum

See also Mordant, Natural dye, Lac, Cochineal and kermes

Last reviewed November 2026