Ancient Color

Ancient Color

Creating Using Investigating

Artifacts

Head of Bacchus

Head of Bacchus
  • Marble, pigment
  • Roman, Hadrianic period, 117–138 CE
  • Museum Purchase, 1974
  • 1974.4.1

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Painted mummy portrait

Painted mummy portrait
  • Wood, encaustic, pigment, gold leaf
  • Roman, Trajanic period, 98–117 CE
  • Fayum, Egypt
  • Purchased from N. Tano, 1935
  • KM 26801

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Votive head

This piece of sculpture was probably someone’s gift to a god and would have been placed a temple for visitors to see.

Votive head
  • Terracotta with black and red pigment
  • Roman period (2nd century BCE)
  • Roman Italy, possibly Veii
  • Gift of Francis W. Kelsey, 1901
  • KM 1759

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Architectural fragment, possibly from an altar

This terracotta piece was part of a larger architectural element, most likely an altar within a house.

Architectural fragment
  • Terracotta, gesso, and black, brown, and pink pigment
  • Roman period (4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 6940

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Wall painting fragment

Wall painting fragment
  • Mortar, plaster, and white, yellow, orange, green, Egyptian blue, dark red, light purple, and brown pigment
  • Roman period (2nd century BCE–4th century CE)
  • Possibly from Italy
  • Kelsey Museum Collection
  • KM 94571

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Wall painting fragment

The wall from which this fragment comes was painted in two phases. First, bright, bold pigments were applied directly to the wet wall plaster in a technique called a fresco. Once the plaster was dry, shading and details were applied to the dried wall in a second layer of pigments that were mixed with a liquid binder, a technique called a secco.

Wall painting fragment
  • Mortar, plaster, and black, white, red, yellow, green, Egyptian blue, and purple pigment
  • Roman period (2nd–1st century BCE)
  • Italy
  • Gift of Mrs. David Dennison, 1977
  • KM 1977.3.11

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Wall painting fragment

Wall painting fragment
  • Mortar, plaster, and white, red, and Egyptian blue pigment
  • Roman period (2nd century BCE–79 CE)
  • Pompeii, Italy
  • Gift of Francis W. Kelsey
  • KM 309

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Architectural fragment, possibly from a shrine

This terracotta piece was likely part of a household shrine called a lararium, where members of a family honored the gods.

Architectural fragment
  • Terracotta, gesso, and orange-red (red lead?) and Egyptian blue pigment
  • Roman period (1st century CE)
  • Provenance unknown
  • Gift of Mrs. Helen D’Ooge Daily, 1958
  • KM 29174

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Bag

Bag
  • Wool with red, green, and possibly yellow dye
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 11666

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Basket with traces of red

Basket with traces of red
  • Palm leaf with red pigment or dye
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 3458

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Textile fragment featuring a scene from the myth of Leda and the swan

Textile fragment with Leda and the swan
  • Wool with purple dye
  • Roman period (2nd century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 10662

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Textile “doll”

Textile doll
  • Wool with blue and purple dye
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 7523

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Textile fragment, undyed except for a purple stripe

Textile fragment, undyed except for a purple stripe
  • Wool with purple dye
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 12873

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Textile fragment

Textile fragment
  • Wool with purple dye (probably a blue-red mixture), flax
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 12569

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Textile fragment

Textile fragment
  • Wool with red dye (possibly madder)
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 12797

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Textile fragment

Textile fragment
  • Wool with blue dye (possibly indigo), flax
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 12739

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Funerary inscription

Funerary inscription
  • Marble, mortar, and red pigment
  • Roman period (1st–2nd century CE)
  • Pozzuoli, Italy
  • Purchase, De Criscio Collection, 1899
  • KM 915

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Funerary stela

Funerary stela
  • Limestone with black, white, red, and pink pigment
  • Roman period (late 2nd–early 4th century CE)
  • Terenouthis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1935
  • KM 21052

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Eros and a swan figurine

This figurine may have been given to a god in a temple or placed in someone’s house to bring good fortune.

Eros and a swan figurine
  • Terracotta, gesso, and white, red, Egyptian blue, dark and pale purple, and pink pigment
  • Roman period (1st–3rd century CE)
  • Fayum region, Egypt
  • Gift of Peter Ruthven, 1935
  • KM 6578

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Statuette

This statuette was found in a sanctuary (the sacred area around a temple) on Cyprus and was probably given as a gift to the god worshipped there.

Statuette
  • Limestone and red, pink, and possibly yellow pigment
  • Roman period (late 2nd century BCE or later)
  • Golgoi, Cyprus
  • Gift of H. C. Hoskier, 1928
  • KM 3078

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Figurine of the god Harpocrates

This figurine may have been given to a god in a temple or placed in someone’s house to ward off evil spirits.

Figurine of the god Harpocrates
  • Terracotta, gesso, and black, yellow, red, pink, and Egyptian blue pigment
  • Roman period (2nd–3rd century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 6449

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Figurine of the god Harpocrates

This figurine may have been given to a god in a temple or placed in someone’s house to ward off evil spirits.

Figurine of the god Harpocrates
  • Terracotta, gesso, and black, red, and unknown blue pigment
  • Roman period (2nd century CE)
  • Fayum region, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations purchase, 1935
  • KM 6947

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Mortar and pestle

Mortar and pestle
  • Mortar
  • Stone (marble?)
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Karanis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1924–1935
  • KM 25856
  • Pestle
  • Stone
  • Roman period (1st–4th century CE)
  • Italy, possibly Tuscany
  • Gift of Dr. E. S. McCartney, 1937
  • KM 91921

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Bowl with red pigment

Bowl with red pigment
  • Ceramic, iron-based mineral pigment with unknown binder
  • Roman period (2nd–4th century CE)
  • Terenouthis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1935
  • KM 21379

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Bowl with green pigment

Bowl with green pigment
  • Ceramic, copper-based mineral pigment with unknown binder
  • Roman period (2nd–4th century CE)
  • Terenouthis, Egypt
  • U-M Excavations, 1935
  • KM 21258

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