One of the wildest things about Han Purple is that it has special properties under certain kinds of light. With origins in antiquity it has things about it which are not fully understood. Han Purple is related to Han Blue, which is similar to the naturally occurring mineral, effenbergite, as well as to Egyptian Blue.
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(Genuine Historical Pigment)
Han Purple, Han Blue
Alternate Names
Chinese purple
Chinese Blue
effenbergite
Pigment Description
Resources
CAMEO Materials Database: Conservation & Art Materials Encyclopedia Online, Museum of Fine Arts Boston. (Accessed June 2025). Barium Copper Silicate https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Barium_copper_silicate. Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
Dry Pigments listing Han Purple, Han Blue
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