Did You Know? Purple dye used to be made from sea snails

[IcyPeas]

Purple Reign: The colorized illustration (below) depicts the manufacture of Tyrian purple dye in ancient Phoenicia. The dye, crafted from sea snails, was so central to the people in a strip of present-day Lebanon, Syria and Israel that the Greek name for them—Phoenicians—is thought to relate to purple. Kings valued the purple-dyed fabrics and other products from the Phoenicians, who traded from India in the east to at least as far west as modern-day Morocco, Mark Woolmer writes for Nat Geo’s History magazine.

[soothsayer]

1. Yes, the murex sea snail! One drop of purple from each snail

Thus: an expensive color.

They dried them on large racks... downwind.

They could tell where to find said snails by noticing villagers who had purple mouths from eating ‘em.

Learned this in Latin and Greek Cultures in high school!

[lame54]

2. The Crawler Purple

[SoonerPride]

7. Ha!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. Yup, I KNEW that....

Being a Historical costumer, the color Purple was reserved for Royalty only.

Due to the process in fishing for the Sea snails that require millions of them, the process of making the smelly dye was tedious and expensive.

The color Black, was procured from Octopus and Squids. Black was also a Royal color, Dukes and Duchesses and high ranking Earls and Countesses could wear that color without impunity as long as they paid a Statuary Tax to the Crown.

Royal Blue was another color reserved for Royalty only.

[Aristus]

4. The color in the illustration is a little inaccurate, though.

Tyrian purple, or murex purple, is closer today to what we call maroon. Not the deep-bluish purple we associate with, say, Prince.

[The Magistrate]

5. They Have The Purple Wrong In The Illustration

There was a good deal more red in its tone:

[marybourg]

6. Yes.

[ihas2stinkyfeet]

8. there is a great movie- 'daughters of the dust'

about the gulah ppl who were indigo farmers.
also, 'mary queen of scots' such a beautiful movie drenched in indigo.

didnt know this about purple, tho i should. one of my fave colors as a painter.
ty.

[stillcool]

9. no...but I've had squid-ink pasta