In heraldry, Purpure is a tincture, more or less the equivalent of the colour "purple". It is one of the five dark tinctures and portrayed in black and white by lines at a clockwise 45 degree angle. It has never been as common as the other colours, and this has led to some controversy as to whether it should be counted among the five common colours. It has existed since the earliest periods, for example in the purpure lion of the arms of Leon; at that time, it was painted in a greyer shade.