17. March 2024

This gorgeous 1940s advertising poster for Indanthrene dye from our collection, features acclaimed Chinese actress Nancy Chan. It also tells the story of a chemical innovation from Germany that deeply influenced the popularization of the iconic Cheongsam or Qipao dress in China. The Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik, better known as BASF, was founded in Mannheim, Germany in 1865 and had already been actively marketing and selling its “Indigo Pure” dyes in China since 1885.

01. February 2022

Happy Chinese New Year from the M.O.F.B.A.! 恭贺新禧! Brought to you by BASF Indanthrene - the bluest of blue since 1901.

08. November 2021

The Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate formed in 1925. In China I.G. Farben marketed itself as 大德颜料厂 - "Big German Dye Factory". It's official Chinese distribution company, Deutsche Farbenhandelsgesellschaft Waibel & Co. aka DEFAG (德孚洋行), was founded in Shanghai on January 1, 1927.

10. May 2021

Cut in the shape of a butterfly - "The cloth that never fades". The blue dye was discovered in 1901 by German chemical manufacturer BASF (later shareholder of the IG Farben conglomerate). BASF had been active in China since 1885 and Indanthrene dye immediately won great popularity among Chinese women who began to wear qipao dresses of such bright blue cotton fabric.