Colour is one of the most basic means of human expression. It can connote mood, social standing, political alignment, or merely personal preference. In "Colors", archaeologist and ethnologist Anne Varichon presents a comprehensive history of colour: its origins, its symbolism, its significance. Why was purple the chosen colour of royalty and nobility? How have technological developments like bleach changed or diminished the importance of white? In addition to historical information on the extraction and meaning of different colours since Biblical times, Varichon provides recipes for creating each colour using traditional sources from cultures around the world.