Purple

**Etymology and Historical Origins of Purple**:
– The word ‘purple’ originates from Old English ‘purpul,’ Latin ‘purpura,’ and Greek ‘porphura.’
– First recorded use of ‘purple’ dates back to the late 900s AD.
– Purple appeared in prehistoric art during the Neolithic era and in textiles from Syria in the early second millennium BCE.
– Tyrian purple dye, derived from the spiny dye-murex, was produced in Sidon and Tyre from the 15th century BC.
– Tyrian purple was associated with royalty and power in Ancient Rome.

**Symbolism and Cultural Associations of Purple**:
– Purple symbolizes royalty, luxury, ambition, magic, mystery, piety, and spirituality.
– In Japan, purple is linked to the emperor and aristocracy.
– Purple combined with pink signifies eroticism, femininity, and seduction.
– Modern surveys in Europe and the US associate purple with rarity and royalty.

**Production and Significance in Ancient Civilizations**:
– Making Tyrian purple dye was a long, difficult, and expensive process requiring thousands of snails.
– Tyrian purple was mentioned in ancient texts like the Hebrew Bible, the Iliad, and the Aeneid.
– Worn by rulers like Alexander the Great and Roman emperors, purple cloth became a state monopoly in the late Roman Empire.

**Cultural Significance of Purple in Different Civilizations**:
– Ancient China obtained purple from purple gromwell, with its price significantly higher than plain fabric in the state of Qi.
– China developed synthetic purple, disproving a hypothesis linking Chinese purple to Egyptian blue.
– Taoist alchemists possibly created Han purple from glassmaking knowledge.

**Evolution of Purple in Various Historical Periods**:
– Byzantine Empire and Carolingian Europe used purple as an imperial color, with Charlemagne crowned in Tyrian purple.
– In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, purple was worn by bishops, archbishops, and professors of new universities.
– Purple and violet were prominent in religious paintings, and Virgin Mary and angels were often depicted in purple or violet robes.
– In the 18th and 19th centuries, rulers like Catherine the Great wore purple, and the discovery of synthetic aniline dye, mauveine, revolutionized the fashion industry.