Egyptian blue

Egyptian blue is an ancient synthetic pigment made primarily of calcium copper silicate. Its vivid blue color comes from copper-bearing crystals formed by heating silica, copper compounds, calcium, and alkali.

Cuprorivaite: A calcium copper silicate mineral with the formula CaCuSi₄O₁₀, responsible for Egyptian blue’s characteristic color. This crystalline compound is the pigment’s principal blue-producing phase.
Ancient Egyptian technology: The practical knowledge and material technologies developed in ancient Egypt. Egyptian blue exemplifies the controlled heating and materials expertise of Egyptian workshops.
Ancient Roman painting: Wall painting and other painted art produced in the Roman world. Roman artists used Egyptian blue in murals, including paintings preserved at Pompeii.
Nefertari's tomb: The richly decorated tomb of Queen Nefertari in Egypt’s Valley of the Queens. Its wall paintings preserve Egyptian blue among the pigments used for royal decoration.
Azurite: A naturally occurring blue copper carbonate mineral used as a pigment. Unlike Egyptian blue, azurite is mined rather than synthesized from heated ingredients.
Egyptian blue fluorescence: The strong near-infrared emission produced when Egyptian blue is excited by visible or ultraviolet light. Its cuprorivaite crystals emit infrared light, enabling detection invisible to the naked eye.
Faience: A glazed non-clay ceramic material made from silica-rich bodies, often colored blue or green. The pigment shares ingredients and workshop contexts with Egyptian faience production.
Fresco: A painting technique in which pigments are applied to wet or dry plaster. Egyptian blue appears in ancient wall paintings made on plaster.
Tomb of Tutankhamun: The burial chamber and funerary assemblage of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Objects from the tomb include blue-painted materials associated with Egyptian pigment traditions.
Lapis lazuli: A deep-blue metamorphic rock prized historically as a gemstone and pigment source. It supplied costly natural blue, whereas Egyptian blue could be manufactured from common raw materials.

Linked from 5 pages