Ripple effect -05
Mrs. Ramya Sethu Ram M.E
Hello Readers,
We all love to see the world in all its vibrant colours, don’t we? Most of us have a favourite colour, and today, every colour we can think of is easily within reach. But what if I told you there is one colour with a history deeper than any other colours known to humankind? In this article, I will take you on a journey through the different shades of blue; each with a story so rich, it might forever change the way how you see this extraordinary colour next time. The history of blue is as deep as the sea and as vast as the sky.
The Hidden Stories of Blue:
Unlike the greens of leaves or the reds of clay, blue hid itself in the shadows of nature. The colour blue is all around us—it paints the sky, yet you cannot touch it. It colours the ocean, yet you cannot hold it. This is the story of how blue journeyed from nature’s embrace to becoming one of the most cherished colours in the world.
When Was Blue First Used?
Before 4500 BC, blue was rarely used in art or decoration due to its scarcity in natural resources. Diggers from Afghanistan accidentally found blue stones called lapis lazuli. The process of extracting the blue pigment from the rocks was costly and labour-intensive, making blue a colour reserved for sacred or royal purposes.
Queen Cleopatra’s Blue Obsession
Egyptians were the first to use royal blue in jewellery to protect them from evils. Over time, they found new ways to use it. Remember the iconic queen from Egyptian history, Cleopatra, who was famous for applying blue eye shadow made from a mixture of lapis lazuli grains with plant and animal fats. This made blue a symbol of royalty.
Slowly, artists began painting with blue in sculptures, walls, and canvases using crushed blue rocks. Only the wealthy could afford to buy such art. Since it was a luxury in demand, people searched for more sources of blue for centuries.
The Mythological story of Dog and Snail Blue
There is a story of a mythological dog that played a surprising role in the discovery of a new shade of blue. Legend has it that the dog accidentally bit into a shellfish, and its tongue turned a striking purple-blue. This curious incident inspired people to investigate further, leading them to uncover a rare dye extracted from murex sea snails.
The process was painstaking, crushing one snail shell produced only two drops of blue dye. Imagine how many snails were needed to dye an entire royal blue dress!! This rarity made the colour so expensive and exclusive that it became a symbol of royalty and power in ancient times.
…contd in Aalumai Sirpi Magazine.
