Color designation is one of the groups of vocabulary that constantly attracts the attention of researchers. The names of tones and shades are considered by scientists from the point of view of semantic, historical, etymological and many other aspects. Researchers are also interested in the origin of color names, among which red stands out. This is due to its brightness, symbolism and richness culturally.
Title History
Modern Russian language has about fifty tokens that indicate different shades of red. One of the designations of this tone is porphyry. This noun appeared in Russia in the 11th century. Confirmation of this is the Ostromi Gospel, dated 1057. In it, porphyry is scarlet and purple royal clothing.
Somewhat later, the lexical meaning of this word expanded. What else did the noun porphyry point to? This is purple and dark red valuable paint used in dyeing fabrics.
In terms of color, the word "porphyry" is a synonym for the word "purple". It indicates a dark red, dark crimson and red-violet hue. In ancient times, a paint of this color was obtained from a certain type of mollusk.
Porphyry is a borrowed word. It came to the Russian language from Latin. In turn, the Romans borrowed this word from the Greeks in several meanings. This is a snail that gives crimson, and purple paint, and dark red clothing or a mantle.
What does the word porphyry mean?
To answer this question, we turn to the dictionary. According to his explanations, in modern Russian the word "porphyry" is called:
- purple, crimson or dark red;
- a genus of special red algae found in the seas of temperate zones;
- a long purple robe, in which the monks dressed only in special and solemn occasions;
- pristine rock close to granite;
- dye of dark red color having various shades;
- purple matter, which in former times was intended for sewing outerwear for reigning persons and other important persons.
Dye
The Phoenicians began to produce porphyry first. They collected from the bottom of the sea small, inconspicuous-looking shells, each of which was crushed to get only a few drops of thick liquid. It was a wonderful porphyry paint. For a small vessel filled with such a liquid, weaving craftsmen gave a whole ingot of silver weighing 8.4 grams. This dye was used to stain the fabric from which clothes were subsequently sewn. A denser composition of porphyry gave lilac hues, more liquid - scarlet colors. Porphyry dye extracted from sea shells was very persistent. Clothes, on the fabric of which he was present, could be washed at least every day without loss of color. Warlords, priests, princes and kings willingly bought such robes. This was explained not only by the high quality of things, but also by the significant cost of fabrics, which have always been a luxury item.
Nowadays, shells producing porphyry are no longer mined. In this color, fabrics are dyed using artificial dye. It turns out much easier, cheaper and better than the Phoenicians. Nevertheless, this people went down in the history of mankind as the discoverer of porphyry.
Mantle
The first imperial porphyry in Russia was made in 1724 for the coronation of Catherine I. The weight of this robe was 60 kg. A special clasp was made for the mantle, which cost about one hundred thousand rubles.
Since then, in Russia, porphyry has become one of the regalia of power. This robe was like a long sleeveless cloak. The upper part of the mantle was decorated with an ermine drape made in the form of a collar. On the back of the porphyry was an embroidered state emblem. The ermine was framed by all the edges of the royal robe, the length of which with a train for the emperor was 5 m 67 cm, and for the empress - 4 m 98 cm.
In earlier times, the Byzantine porphyry in the form of a tunic was an invariable attribute of the sovereigns of the Roman state. The purple-colored mantle was the main difference among the Etruscan kings. In addition to emperors, such priests wore priests who predicted the future.
Rocks
Porphyry stone is of volcanic origin. This is a breed that contains a large inclusion of a variety of minerals. Porphyry has a microcrystalline structure and is divided into quartz and non-quartz. This stone is used as a magnificent finishing, decorative and building material.
The history of the breed
One of the first quartz porphyry began to use Egyptian craftsmen. Moreover, in the art of manufacturing various products from this stone, they have reached considerable heights. Sarcophagi were constructed from porphyry. This stone was used for the manufacture of columns and statues, as well as various interior items. It is worth saying that all the things of the ancient era, made of porphyry, are of great artistic value today. During the reign of the Egyptian pharaohs, this stone was considered a symbol of wealth and power. Porphyry was of the same value for the emperors of Europe and Ancient Rome. Not surprisingly, all the kings and rulers wanted to own products made from this volcanic rock.
In Russia, valuable stone deposits were discovered in Altai, not far from the Korgon River. It happened in the 18th century. Korgon porphyry was widely used in the construction of St. Petersburg. He went to carve sculptures and bas-reliefs adorning the building. Products made of porphyry were used in the design of luxury mansions. Moreover, all the interior items for Russian palaces were made by their own stone-cutting artisans, whose craftsmanship was famous all over the world. And today, rare specimens of porphyry bowls and vases made at the factories of Peterhof, the Urals and Altai can be admired by visiting the Hermitage. Some of these works have won awards at the World Exhibitions in Vienna, Paris and London. There are works by Russian stone-cutting masters and in many museums on our planet.
In the 20th century, a large porphyry deposit was discovered in northern Italy, in the Trento region. Stone from these strata is widely used in paving European roads.
Physical and mechanical characteristics
What properties does porphyry have? This is a stone with high wear resistance. It behaves perfectly in aggressive environments, exhibiting resistance to various chemical agents. In addition, porphyry has excellent thermal insulation characteristics, which is very important for the climatic conditions of Russia. The stone is well resistant to abrasion, impact and scratches. At the same time, it is durable and does not need special care.
In its physical and mechanical properties, this material is similar to granite. Porphyry, in addition, even exceeds its strength by almost fifty percent. It is worth saying that, unlike granite, the stone of this volcanic rock never crumbles.
Interestingly, a very strong porphyry has a low specific gravity and high water absorption. This indicates its porous structure, which allows the stone to self-clean. Greasy, oily or gasoline stains that appear on the porphyry disappear on their own after a while.
The building material from volcanic rocks is represented by a variety of colors. There are stones red and green, brown and yellow, gray and purple. There are such material and colorful colors.
The use of porphyry stone
Today, natural material of volcanic mountain origin is very popular in construction. Quartz porphyry is often used in urban and landscape architecture. The stone looks beautiful because of its magnificent natural texture, interesting natural pattern and the presence of a huge color scheme.
The decorative characteristics of porphyry are such that it is used for both external and internal works. Strong and durable stone adorn the facades of houses, used for paving paths, terraces and sidewalks. Porphyry decorate the stairs. They even simply delimit the space, which looks very impressive.
Porphyry is also often used to decorate pools. Tiles made of this stone have a rough surface, which eliminates the possibility of slipping.
Solid and durable natural stone looks great as a border of flowerbeds and sidewalks. It is convenient for them to lay surfaces with a large slope.
The rooms look rich and modern in the interior decoration of which the designer used porphyry. This amazingly beautiful stone is used for walls, floors, fireplaces, window sills. Such building material is a guarantee of the high quality of the work performed even in the most complex projects.
Red algae
In the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as in the oceanic coastal zones of Asia, an amazing plant lives. It looks like a sheet or a wide plate of brown color, with torn edges. This plant is called "porphyry." Algae is also known as red sea salad. Porphyry got its unusual color thanks to such substances that make up its composition, such as phycocyan, phycoaritrin and chlorophyll. An unusual combination gives the plant such interesting pigmentation. Sometimes there are plates of porphyry brownish, pink-red or even bluish in color.
For a long time, seaweed is used by people for food. Such plants also serve as pet food.
Until now, residents of Japan and China have highly regarded porphyry. Algae is a cult food for the population of these countries, and its use is equivalent to a ritual. As for the inhabitants of European countries, they did not try this red sea salad, using it only for food purposes, which is a pity, because it is a product rich in protein and vitamins A, D, C, B 1 , B 2 and B 12 .
Red seaweed (porphyry) is widely used in the cooking of the Land of the Rising Sun. Its inhabitants call this plant nori. By smell, this type of porphyry, growing near the coast of Japan, resembles cabbage, and in its taste it resembles spinach. They love these sea leaves for their beneficial properties and ease of use. Nori is used as a side dish and for making sushi. These seaweed, the Japanese prefer to eat with rice, and also add them to soups and salads. Shredded or crushed porphyra leaves decorate noodle dishes and mixed sushi. Nori algae is loved for its smoky aftertaste and delicate aroma of ocean waters.
Porfira Company
The modern person who appreciates good taste is already familiar with such phrases as Italian shoes and German cars, Swiss watches and French perfumes. All these products belong to the premium class and are produced by well-known brands. However, popularity in one day does not come. And the one who today is the flagship in the production of a product has a long, sometimes even centuries-old history of its development.
However, in the world of popular brands, new stars constantly light up. One of them was the company Porfira. It is located in Belarus, a country with rich traditions in the production of various goods, and a special, very responsible attitude to work. Today, the goods made in Belarus are highly quoted on the open spaces of the former USSR. Whether it’s food or cosmetics, women's clothing or shoes, the phrase “Made in Belarus” is a kind of guarantee of quality.
What products is Porfira engaged in? Women's clothing is her main focus. Fashionable models combined the best practices of the Belarusian light industry and design school. Their release is made only by the most modern technologies.
Four times a year, Porfira presents its new collections to its customers. Clothing for women, made in the European style, is distinguished by a perfect fit and high quality tailoring.
Women's clothing manufactured by Porfira disposes to reincarnation. The representatives of the beautiful half of humanity can only choose impeccable minimalism or extravagant ethno, always relevant classics or bohemian chic. But be that as it may, in clothes from the Belarusian manufacturer a woman will certainly feel inimitable. All models of the presented collections are not those nameless things that trading organizations purchase wholesale and retail. An increasing number of women are becoming fans of the Porfira brand, which means the beginning of the history of a new brand. Perhaps a little time will pass, and Minsk will become one of the links in the famous chain, which includes the most fashionable capitals of the world, such as Paris and Milan, New York, London and Tokyo.