The project
PURPLE’s goals
PURPLE aims at conducting an in-depth study of the so-called codices purpurei, purple-coloured codices, usually with gold or silver writings, a challenging endeavor which has never been attempted before. Through a complete cataloguing – including both entire purple codices and codices with purple-dyed folios – and a multidisciplinary approach the project will lead to a deeper knowledge and a better understanding of the formal features, meanings and uses of purple codices across the period spanning from the Late Antiquity to the Modern Age and to a fresh vision of the social, cultural and economic requirements associated with purple codices production.
Why study purple codices?
Purple codices are among the highest-quality artistic products of Western and Eastern visual and material culture and cross the development of European art and culture: they are documented since the 3rd-4th century AD, but the earlier extant examples date from the 5th century. Throughout its history, purple, both as a material and as a colour, has been given different meanings. Purple was used in imperial iconography as a symbol of political authority; when Christianity became the official religion on national levels, purple evoked Jesus’s blood, but also the sovereignty of the Church which, through the use of purple garments conformed to imperial divinity. In Byzantium, purple codices were exhibited in religious ceremonies and imperial adventus. In the 15th century, thanks to the rediscovery by humanistic circles, purple codices became the object of antiquarian enthusiasm and new codices with purple folios were made in the Italian peninsula. Purple folios are also found in 17th and 18th century precious manuscripts and official documents linked to the nobility.
PURPLE will gather together material on the various uses, symbolism, and changing status of the codices as well as examine the primary material used to prepare the purple colour; finally, no investigations have been made to identify and examine 19th century purple codices, making the present project a trailblazer.
A multidisciplinary study
The variety of meanings and purposes assigned to purple codices calls for a new critical scrutiny, undertaken with multidisciplinary approach, making it desirable to incorporate art-historical and technical research tools. Promoting a close collaboration between art historians, paleographers, papyrologists, geologist, physicists, and chemists, experts in the characterization of pigments in painted artworks, PURPLE will identify homogeneous groups of codices and the related centers of their production. Scientific analysis will also shed new light on the material life of objects which have undergone multiple transformations. In sum, PURPLE will catalogue purple codices, examine unexplored time periods of purple codices production, analyse pigments used for their production, and consequently develop practices for their conservation thus securing these art objects’ durability for future generations.