The invention of blue and purple pigments in ancient times

Abstract

This tutorial review examines manmade blue and purple pigments appearing in antiquity. They were obtained by chemical synthesis from mineral starting materials and refer to chemical compounds: Egyptian Blue (CaCuSi₄O₁₀), Han Blue (BaCuSi₄O₁₀) and Han Purple (BaCuSi₂O₆), Maya Blue (x·indigo·(Mg,Al)₄Si₈(O,OH,H₂O)₂₄) and Ultramarine Blue (Na,Ca)₈(AlSiO₁₂)(S, SO₄,Cl). The Egyptian and Chinese copper-based pigments are assumed to have been developed independently and are presumably an outcome of the historical developments in glazing techniques. A technology transfer from Egypt into China cannot be fully excluded but, based on the facts acquired up to now, looks less probable.