The Egyptians and colour

The Egyptian people and their colours

Many other things were found in the tomb including royal robes, woven and embroidered with bright colours and decorated with glass beads and gold sequins. From paintings, clothing and textiles found in the tombs of the Egyptians we can discover the materials they used and the dyes and pigments chosen for their colours. The warm and dry conditions have meant that many objects still survive today, hundreds of years later.

From evidence found in Egyptian tombs we know that dyes such as madder and kermes were used to produce red, woad to make blue, dyer's thistle for green, and weld for yellow. The Egyptians however preferred uncoloured cloth, usually flax or linen for their clothes. This was because of the hot climate. Instead they surrounded themselves with colourful buildings, painted with scenes of everyday life and their gods.