title: Non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex from Brescia, Italy.
abstract: Purple codices are among the most relevant and prestigious book productions of Late Antique and Medieval age. They usually contained texts from Holy Writings written with golden or silver inks on parchment dyed in a purple hue. According to the tradition, the colour of parchment was obtained by the well renowned Tyrian purple dye. From the material point of view, however, very little is known about the compounds actually used in the manufacture of these manuscripts. Presently, the information available is limited to the ancient art treatises, with very few diagnostic evidences supporting them and, moreover, none confirming the presence of Tyrian purple. It is more than apparent, then, the need to have at disposal larger and more complete information at the concern, in order to verify what came to us from the literary tradition only. In this study, preliminary results are presented from non-invasive investigation on a VI century purple codex, the so-called CodexBrixianus, held in the Biblioteca Civica Queriniana at Brescia (Italy). Analyses were carried out with XRF spectrometry, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry, molecular spectrofluorimetry and optical microscopy. The results suggest the hypothesis that Tyrian purple had been used as a minor component mixed with other less precious dyes such as folium or orchil.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica (DiSIT), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Teresa Michel, 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; Centro Interdisciplinare per lo Studio e la Conservazione dei Beni Culturali (CenISCo), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, via Manzoni, 8, 13100 Vercelli, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.aceto@mfn.unipmn.it.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Aceto
authors: Ambra
authors: A
authors: Idone
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Agostino
authors: Gaia
authors: G
authors: Fenoglio
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Gulmini
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Baraldi
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Crivello
mesh_terms: D003116:Color; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history*; D049691:History, Medieval; D007558:Italy; D008373:Manuscripts as Topic; D055100:Optical Fibers; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents
keywords: FORS; Fluorimetry; Folium; Orchil; Purple codices; Tyrian purple