Purple: A middle kingdom fad?

‘Purple’ is usually defined as a mixture of red and blue, which are colours at the opposite ends of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although some people refer to the hybrid hue as ‘violet’, this is technically incorrect. True violet is the range of visible spectral wavelengths between blue and invisible ultraviolet. Mixing red and violet, however, also produces shades of purple. Many people have difficulty visually distinguishing between true violet and the darker shades of purple, and this has long been a source of confusion in recognising these colours. A Middle Kingdom amulet carved from purple amethyst, depicting a female monkey holding her baby. It is 3.5cm