Caracol Purpura: History, Dye Process + Conservation

The purple snail (Plicopurpura pansa) inhabits the rocky shores of the Pacific coast, from Baja California to Peru. It produces an ink that turns purple when oxidized, which has been used since pre-Hispanic times to dye textiles. During the 1980s, massive exploitation bed to the near extinction of the species in Oaxaca. Thanks to the efforts of the Mixtec dyers from Pinotepa de Don Luis and specialists such as Marta Turok, these activities were stopped, and the Mixtec people were legally recognized as the only ones authorized to extract the dye in a sustainable way.