Roman purple ink

The ink of the emperors.

Ideal for writing on papyrus sheets.

• Contains 10ml
• Jar size: 2 x 5cm
• Cork
• Closed with a jute rope and a wax seal.

Roman purple ink, also known as purple snail ink, has its roots in the ancient tradition of extracting this precious pigment from species of Mediterranean snails, known as Murex endivia.

This meticulous process gave the ink a unique distinction and made it the most exclusive and expensive writing fluid of its time, reserved exclusively for Byzantine emperors in the late Roman Empire.

Purple, the color of royalty, was also the distinctive hue of the emperors in Constantinople. In the Middle Ages, this hue became closely associated with the Catholic Church and, in particular, cardinals. Being considered a sacred color, evocative of spirituality and penance, monks adopted purple ink in writing their books. Therefore, the purple ink not only presents itself as a visually stunning material within the bottle, but also serves as a means to relive and connect with the rich history of this unique pigment, extracted from nature.