The Egyptian Green Pigment: Its Manufacturing Process and Links to Egyptian Blue*

Pagès-Camagna, Sandrine; Colinart, Sylvie

doi:10.1046/j.1475-4754.2003.00134.x

Cited by 114 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…3 with the literature data shows that the blue grains are Egyptian blue, a synthetic pigment in which the colour is given by blue crystals of cuprorivaite (calcium copper(II) silicate, CaCuSi 4 O 10 ), first manufactured in ancient Egypt. 11 Indeed the observed peak frequencies are in good agreement with the literature data. 6,10,12 It is worth noting that, in comparing Raman spectra measured on Egyptian blue samples, measurements performed on micro-crystals with different orientations can give considerable variations in the relative intensity of the peaks because of polarisation effects.…”

Section: Bluesupporting

confidence: 90%

Raman identification of green and blue pigments in Etruscan polychromes on architectural terracotta panels

Bordignon¹,

Postorino²,

Dore³

et al. 2006

J Raman Spectroscopy

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Micro-Raman measurements were performed on two Etruscan polychromes on architectural terracotta panels now on display at the Villa Giulia Etruscan Museum in Rome. These painted panels, dated from 530 to 520 B.C., are of particular interest because of the unusual presence of green and blue layers. Etruscans in the Archaic Age indeed mainly used white, red, and black colours for painted terracotta panels. Raman spectra allowed the analytical identification of green (malachite) and blue (Egyptian blue) pigments employed by Etruscans for this kind of artistic production. This finding provides evidence for a larger use of malachite and Egyptian blue, previously well documented only in Etruscan wall paintings. The use of different pigments to obtain different colour tones has been also observed. Egyptian blue is indeed mixed with malachite to obtain different green tones, and a black pigment seems to have been applied over the Egyptian blue layer to obtain a dark blue tone.

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Section: Bluesupporting

confidence: 90%

Raman identification of green and blue pigments in Etruscan polychromes on architectural terracotta panels

Bordignon¹,

Postorino²,

Dore³

et al. 2006

J Raman Spectroscopy

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“…These findings provide further evidence for the sophisticated chemistry and the remarkable know-how of this civilization. For now, Egyptian blue and green pigments (calcium copper silicates) were the only high-temperature compounds known to have been synthesized in this period [29]. Consequently, these results raise new questions on the pyrotechnical processes used by Egyptian glassmakers and on the knowledge possessed by these craftsmen.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis of calcium antimonate nano-crystals by the 18th dynasty Egyptian glassmakers

et al. 2009

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During the 18th Egyptian dynasty (1570-1292 B.C.), opaque white, blue and turquoise glasses were opacified by calcium antimonate crystals dispersed in a vitreous matrix. The technological processes as well as the antimony sources used to manufacture these crystals remain unknown. Our results shed a new light on glassmaking history: contrary to what was thought, we demonstrate that Egyptian glassmakers did not use in situ crystallization but first synthesized calcium antimonate opacifiers, which do not exist in nature, and then added them to a glass. Furthermore, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the first time in the study of Egyptian opaque glasses, we show that these opacifiers were nano-crystals. Prior to this research, such a process for glassmaking has not been suggested for any kind of ancient opaque glass production. Studying various preparation methods for calcium antimonate, we propose that Egyptian craftsmen could have produced Ca 2 Sb 2 O 7 by using mixtures of Sb 2 O 3 or Sb 2 O 5 with calcium carbonates (atomic ratio Sb/Ca = 1) heat treated between 1000 and 1100°C. We developed an original strategy S. Lahlil ( ) · I. Biron · M. Cotte

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“…Raman spectroscopy is a micro-analytical technique achieved several advantages in analysis of ancient painting materials. It has been successfully applied to study ancient Egyptian pigments and wall paintings [8][9][10][11][12]. This technique is nondestructive because little sample preparation is required or no sampling in case of micro-Raman [13].…”

Section: Selection Of the Analytical Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigations by Raman microscopy, ESEM and FTIR-ATR of wall paintings from Qasr el-Ghuieta temple, Kharga Oasis, Egypt

Mahmoud

2014

herit sci

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In the present work, a multi-analytical approach was used to analyze samples collected from the wall paintings of Qasr el-Ghuieta temple, Kharga Oasis, Egypt. The temple is dating back to the 27th dynasty (525-404 BC) and was completed during the Ptolemaic period. The samples were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX), Raman microscopy and Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). The chromatic palette used in the temple was identified as Egyptian blue (cuprorivaite), red ochre (haematite), yellow ochre (goethite) and carbon black (from a vegetable origin). The green pigment was identified as green earth, however, a green tonality was also obtained through a mixture of Egyptian blue and yellow ochre, and in some samples, carbon black was also found. Several amounts of anatase and carbon black were found in the red and yellow ochre samples, respectively. The analysis showed that the preparation layer is almost made of pure gypsum, while the plaster layer based mainly on gypsum with variable amounts of quartz, calcite and clay minerals. The results showed that the painting materials and techniques used in the temple are almost the same of those used in the Egyptian temples with respect to the stratigraphy of paint layers, chromatic palette and the painting technique employed.

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The Egyptian Green Pigment: Its Manufacturing Process and Links to Egyptian Blue*

Cited by 114 publications

References 15 publications

Raman identification of green and blue pigments in Etruscan polychromes on architectural terracotta panels

Raman identification of green and blue pigments in Etruscan polychromes on architectural terracotta panels

Synthesis of calcium antimonate nano-crystals by the 18th dynasty Egyptian glassmakers

Investigations by Raman microscopy, ESEM and FTIR-ATR of wall paintings from Qasr el-Ghuieta temple, Kharga Oasis, Egypt

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