Hmm, Joseph had seen this dye before in documentaries about Egypt, where Egyptians mastered the extraction technique thousands of years ago.
Later, Napoleon brought it back to Europe, and its elegant hue quickly caused a sensation, with the output of French blue textiles increasing by over thirty percent that year.
In fact, what Joseph didn't tell Le Roy was that it was the "Egyptian cultural consumption" that was truly profitable.
Currently, this mysterious ancient nation of the eastern Mediterranean is almost a myth to Europeans.
The historical exploration of Egyptian civilization by archaeologists brought by Napoleon ignited a wave of Egyptomania in Europe that lasted for decades.
Various Egyptian style lion claw chairs, papyrus inlay furniture, Cleopatra-style headdresses instantly became a fashion in Europe, driving enormous amounts of consumption.
