The authors propose a new colour-based indexing method for image databases. This method, integrating different approaches for describing colour information, can be more satisfactory than standard techniques in fields such as textiles, ceramics, and paintings, when the user would like to retrieve from the database those images that actuallyresemblethe query image selected in their colour distribution characteristics. Experimental trials on a database of complex antique textile images are reported and compared with human perceptual judgments, using an innovative procedure for estimating retrieval effectiveness.