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104 Identification of the purple dye on the Vienna Genesis
from scientific methods suggested a completely different story: it revealed that shellfish
purple has to date never been directly identified in any purple manuscript, and that other
dyes such as folium or orchil were used instead5. It is important to keep in mind that it is
not possible to detect the indigoid chromophores of shellfish purple admixed with one of
these dyes due to the very low quantum yield of fluorescence emission of shellfish purple
on one hand, and very low signals in Raman on the other.
The analytical study on the purple dye contained on the parchment of the Vienna Gen-
esis was performed in two phases: 1. non-invasive measurements were carried out in situ
with portable instruments at the Austrian National Library. Further measurements were
taken in the laboratory on micro-samples (ø 2 mm) of the parchment. The main aim of
the non-invasive investigation was to make a preliminary identification of the dye used for
5 See among others Rosi et al., 2013; Aceto et al., 2014; Aceto et al., 2017.
Table 1a: Possible sources for purple
dyeing in antiquity and
molecular structures for the
main chromophores: Rocella
tinctoria and Lasallia pustu-
lata. In the lichens two type
of chromophores may be
found, derivatives of amino-
or hidroxy-orcein. Dyed
parchment samples were ir-
radiated with a Xenon lamp
(lirr ≥ 320 nm), photographs
and L*a*b* colour coordin-
ates for unaged and 310 h
irradiation are given.
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Title
- The Vienna Genesis
- Subtitle
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Editor
- Christa Hofmann
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Size
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Pages
- 348