| It is made from the dried, pulverized bodies of a scale insect, Coccus ilicis, which is a parasite on an ilex oak, the kermes oak. |
| Not only dyeing with purpura juice, but also with kermes was common in Homer's day. |
| Exports from the city of Arcadia included wool, wax, silk, and kermes, destined for Venice via Zakynthos. |
| The kermes was expensive and the abundant cochineal insect could be used to make a cheap substitute. |
| Traditional red colouring includes kermes and cochineal, both of which are pigments made by crushing masses of tiny insects. |
| Traditional red colourings include kermes and cochineal, both of which are pigments made by crushing masses of tiny insects. |
