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Purple Dyes Made from Shellfish in Antiquity

1986; Wiley; Volume: 16; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1478-4408.1986.tb03743.x

0557-9325

I. Irving Ziderman,

Dyeing and Modifying Textile Fibers

Two types of precious purple dye were prepared in antiquity from Mediterranean shellfish. Red‐purple (biblical argaman, ‘Tyrian purple’) was 6,6'‐dibromoindigotin (I, C.I. 75800), made from spiny dye‐murex and rock‐shells. The nature of the other dye, blue‐purple (biblical tekhelet, Greek hyakinthos) has been unclear until recently. The eight proposals advanced during the last 100 years regarding its identity are critically evaluated as to their compliance with the characteristic features historically ascribed to a genuine blue‐purple. It is concluded that the banded dye‐murex, Phyllonotus trunculus, was the authentic source of this ancient dye, which is, accordingly, a violet‐coloured mixture containing two major colorants, I and indigotin (C.I. 73000). The analytical detection of tekhelet is described as is the biochemistry of purple dyeing. Biblical byssus is considered to be white linen rather than purple cotton.