An Ancient Egyptian Cartonnage Broad Collar - Technical Examination of Pigments and Binding Media

Abstract

An ancient Egyptian cartonnage fragment with polychrome decoration was examined to characterize pigments, binder and construction. The fragment, from a broad collar, was radiocarbon-dated to 512–351 BC. The cartonnage is made on a double layer of plain weave linen, the ground being a mixture of calcite and huntite. The pigment colours employed were red, yellow, blue, white, black and green. Red was identified as cinnabar, yellow as orpiment, blue as Egyptian blue, white as lead white and black as charcoal black. Green is now present as an organic copper carbohydrate or proteinate green. The binding medium in the yellow areas was identified as gum arabic. A glue was used in the green areas, although the green pigment also contains some protein, while the binder in the black paint was a mixture of glue and oil. The use of mixed media as a binder on cartonnage has therefore been identified for the first time. An unidentified yellow glaze was also used.