If you decide to use purple area rugs in your home, it is probably just because you like the color or you have seen a purple rug you like but when you look into it the color purple has an interesting history.
Far back in time the color was used to represent good fortune. Kings and queens often wore ornate purple robes, and in ancient Jewish temples, the Holy of Holies was shielded behind a purple curtain. The Purple Heart is a medal of honor given to American soldiers who are wounded in battle. It symbolizes their bravery, and shows that their country is proud of them.
Purple symbolized wealth in ancient times because the color was difficult to obtain. The color purple was acquired using a dye called Tyrian purple, which was made in Tyre by crushing purple sea shells called Mediterranean Murex. You had to crush ten thousand shells to get enough dye for one robe, so the dye was very expensive. You had to be quite wealthy to afford the dye, so purple came to represent affluence. In Elizabethan England, there were even laws that decreed who was allowed to wear purple clothing. Later, cheaper purples were obtained from madder and lichen, but the symbolism was retained.
For others, purple represents a soothing spirit, because it combines the heat and passion of red with the calm, icy nature of blue. In purple, there is warmth bubbling beneath the quiet surface, and this mystery is often used to allude to inner sight. The combination of blue and red leads some to use purple as the color of balance. In the USA, a state with an equal volume of Republicans and Democrats is called a purple state.
Purple is thought to be a favorite with teenage girls, because it expresses their feelings. It adequately embodies the red energy of their youth and the blue level-headedness of their impending adult mind set. Purple is popular with creative people too. They find it unusual and stimulating, and many cite it as a muse.
Purple features strongly in literature as well. "The Color Purple" is a novel by Alice Walker. It was made into a film starring Oprah Winfrey, and is considered to be one of the most powerful stories of all time. In Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's dream, a purple flower is used to trick Queen Titania into falling in love with a man wearing a donkey's head.
When choosing you rug, think about what these associations will bring to your home. There is definitely food for thought.