Shining noble fabric

Abstract

The text deals with the topic of the importance of tyrican purple and byssus, which have been an indicator of social status since ancient times. In the first part, it outlines the history of organic red dyes for fabrics, from which robes were treated as a message of the superiority of power and authority. In the second one - it presents three types of natural silk: sea silk – byssus, Chinese silk and spider silk. The first of which was, next to the tyrian purple, the most expensive fabric of antiquity.

An analysis of the biblical meanings of quotations mentioning purple, scarlet, crimson, byssus or silk shows two ways of perceiving these status symbols: as an image of immense wealth and the highest majesty (divine and royal) and its loss due to unjust acts. The quoted examples from European art and literature show that purple and byssus have over time become topoi of wealth, authority, justice of power and even immortality and divinity.

The most important reason (next to the value of the organic and naturally dyed fabrics) was their shiny surface, which allowed them to be identified with the most expensive and non-corrosive gold ore, whose symbolism was culturally taken over by them.