glass

Akhenaten in blue

Akhenaten in blue

Egyptian blue, also known as calcium copper silicate (CaCuSi4O10 or CaOCuO(SiO2)4 (calcium copper tetrasilicate)) or cuprorivaite, is a pigment that was used in Ancient Egypt for thousands of years. It is considered to be the first synthetic pigment. It was known to the Romans by the name caeruleum. After the Roman era, Egyptian blue fell...

Serene face

This wooden face from a coffin is beautifully carved with fine features and a sense of serenity can be felt from the expression and realism of the craftsmanship. The eyes and brows are inlaid with glass. Blue glass fills the brows and liner of the eyes, whereas the eyes themselves are white and black inlay,...

Inlay of a princess

Inlay face of a princess, possibly Meritaten, made from opaque turquoise-blue glassNew Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1351–1334 B.C.Tel el-Amarna.British Museum. EA54264 Meritaten, also spelled Merytaten, Meritaton or Meryetaten (Ancient Egyptian: mrii.t-itn), was an ancient Egyptian royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Her name means “She who is beloved of Aten“; Aten being the...

Obsidian (volcanic glass) head of Senwosret III

Obsidian (volcanic glass) head of Senwosret III

This obsidian head, an exquisite example of Egyptian craftsmanship, was part of a full-length statue depicting King Senwosret III. The king is wearing a nemes headdress, with the sacred serpent (uraeus), representing regal and divine might. In this representation, the artist portrays the sense of a firm yet extremely human figure, showing the load of...