Forty Centuries of Ink; or, a chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curi by David Nunes Carvalho
page 17 of 472 (03%)
page 17 of 472 (03%)
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Ezekiel took up a lamentation for Tyre, he spoke of
the "blue and purple from the isles of Elishah" in which the people were clothed. This reference is said to doubtless refer to the islands of the Aegian Sea, from whence many claim , the Tyrians obtained the shell-fish,--the murex and papura, which produced the dark-blue and bright-scarlet coloring materials, the employment of which contributed so much to the fame of ancient Tyre. Pliny the younger confirms this statement: "The Tyrian-purple was the juice of the Purpurea, a shell-fish, the veins of its neck and jaws secreting this royal color, but so little was obtained that it was very rare and cost one thousand Denarii (about $150.00) per pound." A more modern writer in discussing a crimson or ruby color says: "By a mistaken sense the Latin word purpurus, has been called purple, by all the English and French writers." Arbuthnot, London, 1727, in his book "Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures," as the result of his examinations of the most ancient records estimates: |
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