Tyrian purple

PV15, PV16 | Excellent lightfastness | Semi-transparent

Now available in full pan size! Tyrian purple is inspired by an ancient and highly valued color, also known as Phoenician purple or imperial purple. A reddish-purple natural dye created by harvesting a secretion produced by several species of predatory sea snails found near Tyre, Lebanon. In ancient times, extracting this dye involved tens of thousands of snails and substantial labor, and as a result, the dye was incredibly expensive. Our Tyrian purple is cruelty-free and lightfast hue that pays homage to this ancient color.

Mix and match! Explore our PALETTE BUILDER feature to customize a personal collection. A discount will be applied at check out when you fill your palette with 12 colors or more!

Made by hand in Assisi, our watercolors are crafted according to a traditional recipe of raw pigments, gum arabic, local honey, rosemary essential oil and a wetting agent. This artisanal process creates a very pigmented and luminous paint that activates beautifully when wet.

Half pans and full pans are packaged with a corresponding color card with color details for your reference on the back.

A. Gallo Colors are 100% handmade. Pans may contain small imperfections like tiny bubbles and minor blemishes. This does not affect the quality of the paint and is a sign of the human touch that goes into making each and every unique pan.

Half and full pans present a choking hazard and are not intended for use by children. Please also keep out of reach of pets. A. Gallo Colors are all cadmium, cobalt, lead and mercury free.