Purple manuscript

Purple handwriting is the name of a handwriting whose parchment leaves have been colored with purple . The texts were written with gold or silver ink .

Purple was one of the most expensive dyes in ancient times . It was mainly produced in the Mediterranean area. The staining process from the secretion of purple snails was tedious.

In late antiquity , some Gospel manuscripts were written on purple-dyed parchment, some with colored miniatures . In the European Middle Ages , purple codes were only made on very important occasions ( Vienna Coronation Gospels ). From the 9th to the 12th centuries, purple certificates have also been preserved in Germany and Italy , which are probably based on Byzantine models.

Purple manuscripts

Illustration	designation	Dating	place	Remarks	Library
	Codex Vercellensis	4th century		Gospels in Latin	Vercelli, Biblioteca Capitolare
	Codex Veronensis	4th or 5th century		Gospels in Latin	Verona, Biblioteca Capitolare
	Purpure Gospel Book of Trento ("Evangelium Palatinum")	4th or 5th century		Gospels in Latin	Trient, Castello del Buonconsiglio Ms. 1589 (formerly Vienna, Austrian National Library Cod. 1185); One sheet each in Dublin, Trinity College MS 1709 and London, British Library Add. MS 40107
	Codex Argenteus	around 500/510	Northern Italy	Bible in Gothic language ( Wulfilabibel )	Uppsala, University Library
	Codex purpureus Rossanensis	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Gospels in Greek with miniatures	Rossano, Museo diocesano
	Codex Sinopensis	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Gospels in Greek with miniatures	Paris, Bibliothèque nationale Ms. Suppl. Gr. 1283
	Codex Petropolitanus Purpureus	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Gospels in Greek with miniatures	St. Petersburg, Russian National Library; Cut sheets in other libraries
	Codex Beratinus 1	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Gospels in Greek without illustrations, world document heritage	Tirana, National Archives
	Uncial 080	6th century	Byzantine Empire	two sheets of a Greek Gospel manuscript, only in gold ink	St. Petersburg, Russian National Library Gr. 375.3; Alexandria, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Ms. 496
	Codex Brixianus	6th century	Italy?	Gospels in Latin	Brescia, Biblioteca Queriniana
	Codex Neapolitanus Latinus 3	6th century	Italy?	Gospels (fragment) in Latin	Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale Lat. 3
	Viennese Genesis	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Genesis in Greek with miniatures	Vienna, Austrian National Library cod. theol. size 31
	Codex Turicensis	6th century	Byzantine Empire	Genesis in Greek	Zurich, Central Library RP1 / C84
	Godescalc Evangelist	between 781 and 783	Aachen	Evangelistary in Latin with miniatures	Paris, Bibliothèque nationale Ms. nouv. acq. lat. 1203
	Viennese coronation gospel book	shortly before 800	Aachen	Gospels, the German kings swore the coronation oath on it, part of the imperial insignia	Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, treasury
	Gospels of Saint-Riquier	shortly before 800	Aachen	Gospels	Abbeville, Bibliothèque Municipale Ms. 4
	Codex Beratinus 2	9th century	Byzantine Empire	Gospels in Greek with miniature and ornamental decorations, world document heritage	Tirana, National Archives
	Codex Neapolitanus	9th century	Constantinople?	Evangelistary in Greek with large golden uncials	Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale Cod. Neapol. ex Vindob. 2
	Minuscule 565	9th century	Palestine?	Gospels in Greek in gold ink	St. Petersburg, Russian National Library Gr. 53

Purple parchment leaves

Individual sheets of purple parchment are included in

Illustration	designation	Dating	place	Remarks	Library
	Codex Aureus of Stockholm	around 750	Canterbury?	Gospels, partly on purple-stained parchment leaves	Stockholm, Royal Library MS A-135
	Xanten Gospels	around 810	Aachen?	Gospels with a preserved miniature on a purple parchment page	Brussels, Royal Library Ms. 18723
	Treasury Gospels	Early 9th century	Aachen?	Gospels with miniatures on leaves of purple parchment	Aachen, cathedral treasure