Until the development of Egyptian blue—the first known synthetic pigment—ancient artisans would have used lapis lazuli from modern-day Afghanistan to produce blue pigment. Objects Conservator Ingrid Seyb gives a quick history of Egyptian blue and looks at a piece of this historic pigment that is on view in Queen Nefertari’s Egypt.
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Queen Nefertari’s Egypt is organized by the Museo Egizio, Turin, and StArt, in collaboration with the New Orleans Museum of Art. The presentation in New Orleans is made possible by the generous support of New Orleans & Company; Louisiana Office of Cultural Development; the Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; the Charitable Lead Annuity Trust under the Will of Louis Feil; the Booth-Bricker Fund; the Consulate General of Italy in Houston; Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Cemeteries, a Dignity Memorial provider; Nina Dhurandhar, MD; Mallory Savoie; Elisabeth French; and Kenya and Quentin Messer.