mordanting

Mordanting (staining) – traditional process used for treating and modifying the appearance of wood, metal, leather, and textiles through the application of mordants, meaning solutions or vapors of substances that influence the coloration of the treated material while also providing preservative and protective effects. In folk production, mordanting was applied in dyeing, leather processing, and especially in wood finishing, where it served not only for impregnation but also for achieving overall surface polychromy. The technique became particularly significant in the surface treatment of carved objects and traditional toys. The oldest methods of mordanting relied on organic dyes and natural extracts. Commonly used materials included decoctions made from oak bark, wild plum, alder, blackthorn, elderberry fruits, saffron, brazilwood (fernambuk), or even animal blood. Effects similar to mordant staining were also achieved through other traditional surface-treatment techniques.