Transition in the use of cobalt-blue colorant in the New Kingdom of Egypt

Abe, Yoshinari; Harimoto, Rodan; Kikugawa, Tadashi; Yazawa, Ken; Nishisaka, Akiko; Kawai, Nozomu; Yoshimura, Sakuji; Nakai, Izumi

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.021

Cited by 58 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The use of cobalt as a colorant for vitreous materials appears to have more or less coincided with the advent of the large-scale production of glass during the Late Bronze Age (LBA) both in Egypt [1,2] as well as in Mesopotamia [3]. Popular during the eighteenth dynasty, the production of glass coloured with cobalt declined at the beginning of the nineteenth dynasty [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Popular during the eighteenth dynasty, the production of glass coloured with cobalt declined at the beginning of the nineteenth dynasty [1]. In the European Iron Age, deep blue glass became the prevailing colour for the production of Celtic beads and bracelets from the time of La Tène C [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was in fact long thought to have been the only cobalt source used during the LBA in Egypt as well as in the Near East. Additional cobalt sources have since been identified in connection with Mesopotamian glasses [3] as well as glass artefacts and faience from Ramesside Egypt [1]. Compared to the cobalt derived from the alums in Egypt, the Mesopotamian cobalt-coloured glasses have on average substantially higher levels of cobalt and lower nickel, zinc and manganese contents [3], while the Ramesside cobalt differs in terms of its elevated nickel concentrations [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in the Signature of Cobalt Colorants in Late Antique and Early Islamic Glass Production

2018

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Prior to the eighteenth century, cobalt was exclusively employed as a colouring agent for vitreous materials, and its use appears to be concurrent with the earliest large-scale production of glass during the Late Bronze Age (LBA). LBA cobalt deposits with a distinctive elemental signature have been identified in the oases of the western Egyptian desert, while cobalt mines in Kashan (Iran) and in the Erzgebirge (Germany) are known to have been exploited during the later Middle Ages. For most of the first millennium BCE and CE, however, the identity of cobalt sources and their supply patterns remain elusive. The aim of this study is to characterise the chemical composition of cobalt colorants used during the first millennium CE. Compositional variations indicate the use of different raw materials and/or production processes, which in turn has implications for the underlying exchange networks. Using mainly correlations between cobalt, nickel and zinc as discriminants, our results show that the compositional signature of cobalt underwent two major changes. An increase in the CoO/NiO ratios occurs between the late fourth and the beginning of the sixth century, while a new zinc-rich source of cobalt begins to be exploited during the second half of the eighth century in the Islamic world.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in the Signature of Cobalt Colorants in Late Antique and Early Islamic Glass Production

2018

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“…Previous scholars (e.g. Kaczmarczyk 1986;Shortland, Tite, and Ewart 2006;Abe et al 2012) have already identified the chemical properties of cobalt ore used in LBA Egypt, as well as demonstrating that the overall source in the Egyptian western desert can be determined using pXRF by means of transition element analysis. By contrast, the present study aims to establish whether it is possible to identify any further sub-sources of Egyptian cobalt ore, in particular with regard to the various glass workshops excavated at Amarna, based on pXRF analysis of transition metals (Ni, Mn, Zn) only.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of Cobalt in 18th Dynasty Blue Glass from Amarna: the results from an on-site analysis using portable XRF technology

Hodgkinson

Röhrs

Müller

et al. 2019

STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research

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Cobalt was commonly used as a colourant in the Egyptian glass industries of the 18th dynasty, dark blue glass being a regular find at palatial and settlement sites, including Amarna and Malqata. The main source of cobalt ore used during this period has been identified in the Egyptian western desert, around the oases of Kharga and Dakhla. In order to better understand the chaîne opératoire of Late Bronze Age glass production and-working, in particular with regard to cobalt ore, at Amarna, chemical analysis by portable X-Ray fluorescence was carried out in the field. This was done on contextualised archaeological material excavated at the site of Amarna, which cannot be exported from Egypt for analysis. The results of this study demonstrate how cobalt ore was used in the various known workshop sites at Amarna, resulting in a deeper understanding of raw materials use and exchange across this settlement.

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“…Recent examples include X-ray fluorescence spectrometry [9][10][11][12], Raman spectroscopy [12,13], inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [1], laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [7,14,15], inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy [2], scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy [3,7,11,16], X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [10], particle-induced X-ray/ gamma ray emission [3,10], laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy [17,18], electron microprobe analysis [16,19], and X-ray powder diffraction [16]. Some of these studies were conducted with portable instrumentation, thus permitting on-site and/or in situ analyses of the artifacts [9][10][11][12][13]20]. And most research campaigns utilized multiple, complimentary techniques to more completely characterize and understand the materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Roman glass tesserae from the Coriglia excavation site (Italy) via energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy

et al. 2016

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The combined use of handheld energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry permitted the characterization of Roman glass tesserae excavation from the Coriglia (Italy) archeological site. Analyses of ten different glass colors were conducted as spot analyses on intact samples and as both spot analyses and line scans on select cross-sectioned samples. The elemental and molecular information gained from these spectral measurements allowed for the qualitative chemical characterization of the bulk glass, decolorants, opacifiers, and coloring agents. The use of an antimony opacifier in many of the samples supports the late Imperial phasing as determined through numismatic, fresco, ceramics, and architectural evidence. And dealinization of the exterior glass layers caused by the burial environment was confirmed.

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Transition in the use of cobalt-blue colorant in the New Kingdom of Egypt

Cited by 58 publications

References 32 publications

Changes in the Signature of Cobalt Colorants in Late Antique and Early Islamic Glass Production

Changes in the Signature of Cobalt Colorants in Late Antique and Early Islamic Glass Production

The use of Cobalt in 18th Dynasty Blue Glass from Amarna: the results from an on-site analysis using portable XRF technology

Characterization of Roman glass tesserae from the Coriglia excavation site (Italy) via energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy

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