For over two years, we’ve been researching Egyptian blue—the world’s first synthetic pigment—in an effort to understand and recreate its ancient formula. We’ve tested a wide range of recipes, adjusting ingredients and firing conditions. Recently, working with Joseph and John, we began to see promising results.
Some of the most successful samples have now been ground into pigment and mixed with gum Arabic to make paint. We’ve started testing them on pottery shards prepared by Hanaa Shawky, a conservator with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
Our next step is to analyze these samples in the lab of the Grand Egyptian Museum, thanks to the support of Dr. Salima Ikram, who has followed this project from the beginning. The key test will be to see if the pigment shows the characteristic luminescence under infrared light—a signature of authentic Egyptian blue. If it does, it will be a strong indication that our recipe is close to the original.
In May, we’ll travel across Egypt, both north and south, to source materials similar to those used in antiquity and continue refining our work.
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