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Tyrian purple, also known as Tyre purple or Royal purple, is a reddish-purple natural dye extracted from certain species of sea snails in the Muricidae family. These snails secrete a yellow defensive mucus when stimulated, which gradually turns purple through complex chemical reactions after exposure to light. As early as around 1600 BC, the ancient Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean began using this dye.

Tyrian purple has strong coloring power, and the dyed fabric fades from purple to red and then to pink over time, appearing even more vibrant. However, the extraction and production process of Tyrian purple is labor-intensive. It takes about 12,000 dye-producing snails to produce 1.4 grams of pure dye, barely enough to dye a single garment edge, making Tyrian purple extremely precious at the time. Around 1000 BC, Tyrian purple was exported to Rome and other regions, and only the privileged class could wear this color. Through modern technological analysis, "6,6'-Dibromoindigo" has been identified as the primary coloring component in Tyrian purple.

The museum features sculptures dating from 650 BCE to 550 CE