04-19-2012, 08:19 AM
I heard a radio show last night on my way home in the car. They were talking about the origins of color in the world of art, and the color purple has an amazing history.
I think it was Cleopatra that first discovered it and it was only used by the royals. It could only be acquired from a specific seashell in Lebanon. She also used it to tint the sails of her ships to show it off to all onlookers.
When she finally passed the secret of it on to the Roman Emperor it was so rare and beautiful that the Roman Emperor banned all from wearing that color so he could have it all to himself.
The rare shell became an exotic trade that made some who knew how to create the dye very rich selling it to the royals. It also resulted in the extinction of that mollusk and to this day there are actually hillsides in the Lebanon area that are literally made from the leftovers shells of the trade.
I think it was Cleopatra that first discovered it and it was only used by the royals. It could only be acquired from a specific seashell in Lebanon. She also used it to tint the sails of her ships to show it off to all onlookers.
When she finally passed the secret of it on to the Roman Emperor it was so rare and beautiful that the Roman Emperor banned all from wearing that color so he could have it all to himself.
The rare shell became an exotic trade that made some who knew how to create the dye very rich selling it to the royals. It also resulted in the extinction of that mollusk and to this day there are actually hillsides in the Lebanon area that are literally made from the leftovers shells of the trade.
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