03/05/2025
Egyptian blue is one of the oldest known artificial pigments and the first major innovation in the field of man-made colours. Since it does not naturally exist in a pure state, it is a mixture of silica, limestone, copper-based minerals and sodium carbonate, heated to a high temperature. First used in Egypt and Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC, this pigment quickly spread around the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean. It was produced in southern Italy, notably in Cumae, Literno and Pozzuoli.
