The Ambassadors, Detail

Fabric Color Myths

Myth: Pink is not a period color. Shiny fabric is not period.

Pink is a period color, and even worn by men. For those who state that it may have been red, faded to pink over time, that may be true, although you can see a red behind him in the table carpet to compare. Also, pink can be got from an exhaust bath of a red dye, such as madder. Pink was more commonly known as Carnation, Maiden's Blush and other fun names.

As to shiny fabric not being period, satin is an old style of weave that by it's very nature provides for shiny fabric, whether woven in silk or even when woven in fine wool. Shiny fabric is quite evident in the image.

The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533.