Scarlet

The English name Scarlet originates from Persian saqirlat, referring to premium wool dyed with expensive cochineal dye. In the Middle Ages, such bright fabric traveled along the Silk Road to Europe and instantly became ceremonial robe color for cardinals and royal coronation costumes.

In Roman Catholic Church, scarlet symbolizes a cardinal’s oath to sacrifice blood for faith. Since dye extracted from Mediterranean cochineal was extremely costly, Pope Paul II officially stipulated scarlet for cardinal vestments, sanctifying this hue as pinnacle of religious authority.

During Elizabeth I’s reign, England issued sumptuary laws forbidding scarlet clothing to all but highest nobles. This intensified secular society’s pursuit of the shade. Shakespeare’s dramas repeatedly depict scarlet as entanglement of sin, lust and power.

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne lets heroine Hester Prynne wear scarlet letter A. He leverages its dual cultural connotation: attracting gaze while bearing original sin, challenging Puritan morality and representing life instinct resisting repressive society.

After the 20th century, scarlet stepped down from altar to mainstream, frequent on Hollywood red carpets and fashion editorials. More lively than pure red with orange vitality, recognized by design industry as the most eye-catching hue, challenging gamut limits for color printing and digital screens.