heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

, purpure, () is a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

, equivalent to the colour "

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters ...

", and is one of the five main or most usually used ''colours'' (as opposed to ''metals''). It may be portrayed in

engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...

s by a series of parallel lines at a 45-degree angle running from upper right to lower left from the point of view of an observer, or else indicated by the abbreviation purp. Purpure has existed since the earliest periods, for example in the purpure lion of the arms of León; at that time, it was painted in a greyer shade. However, it has never been as common as the other colours, and this has led to some controversy as to whether it should be counted among the common colours. In French heraldry, the colour is usually excluded from the common colours as well as considered "ambiguous" (could be either ''colour'' or ''metal''), and Finnish heraldry restricts its use to certain additaments. There is at least one instance of it being blazoned as "Imperial Purple". One of the most expensive colors to acquire in ancient times,

Tyrian purple Tyrian purple ( grc, πορφύρα ''porphúra''; la, purpura), also known as Phoenician red, Phoenician purple, royal purple, imperial purple, or imperial dye, is a reddish-purple natural dye. The name Tyrian refers to Tyre, Lebanon. It is ...

was used in the war banner of Byzantine Emperor

Komnenos Komnenos ( gr, Κομνηνός; Latinized Comnenus; plural Komnenoi or Comneni (Κομνηνοί, )) was a Byzantine Greek noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185, and later, as the Grand Komnenoi (Μεγαλοκομνην� ...

: Purpur (porphyr red) a double-headed eagle displayed Or. Sometimes, the different tinctures are said to be connected with special meanings or virtues, and represent certain elements and precious stones. Even if this is an idea mostly disregarded by serious heraldists throughout the centuries, it may be of anecdotal interest to see what they are, since the information is so often sought after. Many sources give different meanings, but purpure is often said to represent the following: * Of jewels, the

amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος ''amethystos'' from α- ''a-'', "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) / μεθώ (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that ...

* Of heavenly bodies, Mercury (this is disputable. Western Alchemy associates the amethyst with Jupiter; viz. 777.) ** The planet Mercury is further associated with the element mercury or "quicksilver" in traditional alchemical/occultistic lore

Gallery

File:Blason ville fr Mauves-sur-Loire (Loire-Atlantique).svg, Arms of

Mauves-sur-Loire Mauves-sur-Loire (, literally ''Mauves on Loire''; br, Malvid) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population International relations Mauves-sur-Loire is twinned with Hythe in England. See also *Communes of ...

city (Loire-Atlantique) File:HakewillArms.png, Arms of Hakewill of Exeter, Devon. File:Zijpe wapen.svg, Coat of arms of the former Dutch municipality of

Zijpe Zijpe () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2013, Zijpe and Harenkarspel merged into Schagen. Population centres The former municipality of Zijpe consisted of the following cities, towns, villages ...

. File:Coat of Arms of Klyonovskoe (Moscow Oblast).png, Coat of Arms of Klyonovskoe settlement (Moscow, Russia). File:DeneArms.png, Arms of Dene of Newton St Petrock, Devon. File:Arms of Jo Cox.svg, Arms of British MP

Jo Cox Helen Joanne Cox ( Leadbeater; 22 June 1974 – 16 June 2016) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from May 2015 until her murder in June 2016. She was a member of the Labour Party. Born in Ba ...

, installed in the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 ...

File:MMV.png, Arms of the Portuguese municipality of

Montemor-o-Velho Montemor-o-Velho () is a town and municipality of the Coimbra District, in Portugal. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 26,171, in an area of 228.96 km². History In 711, the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula began. Mont ...

File:Coat of arms of Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.svg, Arms of Cardinal

Luis Ladaria Ferrer Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer (born 19 April 1944) is a Spanish Jesuit, theologian and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. After a thirty-year career teaching theology, he joined the Roman Curia in 2004 as Secretary-General of the Internation ...

References

External links

Heraldica.org:
Purpure, discussion based on

Michel Pastoureau Michel Pastoureau (born 17 June 1947) is a French professor of medieval history and an expert in Western symbology. Biography Pastoureau was born in Paris on 17 June 1947. He studied at the École Nationale des Chartes, a college for prospective ...

, ''Traité d'Héraldique.''
Red vs. Purple Lions
{{Heraldry Colours (heraldry) Shades of magenta Shades of violet