If I recall the cochineal beetle is likley to be found somewhere in Latin America (and regardless of locale of origin) would be an ancient ingredient for fabric use. And therefore the original application would be water based. I may also be thinking of the lac bug. A net search would settle the issue.

It might be possible to import raw materials in some ground and purified consumer-safe form. Or perhaps the Real Thing may be obtained en situ and brought back. Check the fiber and fabric freak sub-culture which usually does a lot of rug and rope work. The Chicago Art Institute would be a source for printed info as would the library.

Fabric and wood dyes are the same thing. My issue is to get a proper walnut underbark concoction for use on my old muskets and maybe even a Catalan style stock I want to fit to a shotgun. This would have an appropriate black finish and be decorated like a caucasian harlot with appropriate inlays of mammoth, ivory, bone, shell, brass, etc, plus red coral and whatever else is in my bins.