PH
Egyptian artists created Egyptian blue, one of the earliest known synthetic pigments.
It was produced by heating materials including silica, copper compounds, and calcium-containing substances.
The resulting blue pigment was used on paintings, sculptures, coffins, and other decorative objects.
Its color could survive for thousands of years when protected from weathering.
Scientists have even found traces of Egyptian blue in objects where the pigment is no longer obvious to the ***** eye.
The remarkable part is that this wasn't simply a naturally occurring blue mineral that artists picked up and used.
It was an intentionally manufactured artistic material created more than 4,000 years ago.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art