Topic summary

Maya blue

Maya blue

Maya blue (Spanish: azul maya) is a unique bright turquoise or azure bluepigment manufactured by cultures of pre-ColumbianMesoamerica, such as the Mayas and Aztecs, during a period extending from approximately the 8th century to around 1860 CE. It is found in mural paintings on architectural buildings, ceramic pieces, sculptures, codices, and even in post-conquest Indochristian artworks and mural decorations.

The pigment is notable because of its chemical stability, vividness, and resistance to corrosion and weathering. Murals painted more than 1,000 years ago in Chichén Itzá, Bonampak and Cacaxtla, in what is today Mexico, have maintained their color, despite existing in one of the world's harshest climates.