Lapis lazuli

Not to be confused with Lazulite.
For the Fabergé egg, see Lapis Lazuli (Fabergé egg).
"Lazuli" redirects here. For other uses, see Lazuli (disambiguation).
"Lapis" redirects here. For other uses, see Lapis (disambiguation).
Lapis lazuli
Metamorphic rock
Lapis lazuli in its natural state, with pyrite inclusions (specimen from Afghanistan)
Composition
PrimaryLazurite
SecondaryA mixture of other minerals, often including pyrite

Lapis lazuli (UK: /ˌlæpɪs ˈlæz(j)ʊli, ˈlæʒʊ-, -ˌli/; US: /ˈlæz(j)əli, ˈlæʒə-, -ˌli/), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, lāžward,[1] lapis lazuli is a rock composed primarily of the minerals lazurite, pyrite and calcite. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines,[2] in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in modern northeast Afghanistan.[3] Lapis lazuli artifacts, dated to 7570 BC, have been found at Bhirrana, which is the oldest site of Indus Valley civilisation.[4] Lapis was highly valued by the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1900 BC).[4][5][6] Lapis beads have been found at Neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and as far away as Mauritania.[7] It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BC).[8]

By the end of the Middle Ages, lapis lazuli began to be exported to Europe, where it was ground into powder and made into the pigment ultramarine. Ultramarine was used by some of the most important artists of the Renaissance and Baroque, including Masaccio, Perugino, Titian and Vermeer, and was often reserved for the clothing of the central figures of their paintings, especially the Virgin Mary. Ultramarine has also been found in dental tartar of medieval nuns and scribes, perhaps as a result of licking their painting brushes while producing medieval texts and manuscripts.[9]

  1. ^ "lapis lazuli". Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ^ David Bomford and Ashok Roy, A Closer Look- Colour (2009), National Gallery Company, London, (ISBN 978-1-85709-442-8)
  3. ^ Moorey, Peter Roger (1999). Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: the Archaeological Evidence. Eisenbrauns. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-1-57506-042-2. Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  4. ^ a b "Excavation Bhirrana | ASI Nagpur". excnagasi.in. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  5. ^ Sarkar, Anindya; Mukherjee, Arati Deshpande; Bera, M. K.; Das, B.; Juyal, Navin; Morthekai, P.; Deshpande, R. D.; Shinde, V. S.; Rao, L. S. (2016-05-25). "Oxygen isotope in archaeological bioapatites from India: Implications to climate change and decline of Bronze Age Harappan civilization". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 26555. Bibcode:2016NatSR...626555S. doi:10.1038/srep26555. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4879637. PMID 27222033. S2CID 4425978.
  6. ^ DIKSHIT, K.N. (2012). "The Rise of Indian Civilization: Recent Archaeological Evidence from the Plains of 'Lost' River Saraswati and Radio-Metric Dates". Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. 72/73: 1–42. ISSN 0045-9801. JSTOR 43610686.
  7. ^ Bowersox & Chamberlin 1995
  8. ^ Alessandro Bongioanni & Maria Croce
  9. ^ Zhang, Sarah (January 9, 2019). "Why a Medieval Woman Had Lapis Lazuli Hidden in Her Teeth". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.