To the left, fabric is being reeled over a large reel by one man, while another stirs the dye vat to ensure even coloring. The reel posts are set upon outcroppings built into the brick vats.
A similar vat is in the right front foreground. This one shows the open door and the fire inside the furnace. It has a chimney as well, and the dyer is stirring the material (whether fabric or fleece is not clear) with a stick.
An apprentice pounds dye materials in the foreground. His heavy pestle is suspended from a springy rod, to take some of the weight and help in pounding. In the foreground we also have two large stirring sticks, a rake, and an unusual sled-shaped object of unknown function.
In the background, several bowls, kettles and sieves are hung from the wall, including one long and narrow sieve. More men prepare dyestuffs on the table in the rear of the shop.
