As a side comment. Lapis Lazuli c.1000 was available from the former Persia.
The major identifying characteristic of the Danish Rpmanesque wall paintings
is the blue background of lapis lazuli. In Maaloev church, just outside
Copenhagen, one of the walls, at least 30x10 feet, is largely blue. After
the Crusades, this source was severely limited. However small amount of
lapis lazuli are found in the metamorphosed limstones of Vesuvius. Jim
>>Hi! The Supple Doctor is on holiday in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
>
>The blue of the Virgin's robe was made from Lapis Lazuli, which comes
>from a single mine in the Himalayas. It was, and is, very precious and
>so was reserved for the Virgin's robe. Blue was not the original colour
>for the Virgin; this was red, the colour of purity. Why red for purity?
>Greek Pyros, fire (as in pyrotechnic) gives us also the word pure.
>Gold, for example, is purified, that is, has the impurities burnt out by
>fire. For the how, when and why of the change you would need to
>examine trade routes and conditions: it is a long way back from the
>Himalayas with Lapis Lazuli.
>
>All of which reads a bit like a joke, but I promise you it is all true.
>
>Londonderry New Hampshire, by the way, is associated with the poet
>Robert Frost. Not actually his birthplace - he was born in California -
>but he owned a farm here. He seems to have owned a large number of
>farms, because several other places in New England also claim
>associations. There are places like the "Stopping by Woods Diner" and
>schools, libraries etc are commonly named from his poems.
>
>Doctor Elasticus.
>
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