Lapis Lazuli: Ancient Egypt’s “Splendid and Costly Stone”

Lapis lazuli was mined in the hills of Afghanistan and traded over 3000 miles into Egypt.  This brilliant deep blue stone was highly desirable to the ancient Egyptians for the symbolism its color epitomized, and they called it “a costly precious stone from the God’s Land.”  Found first as beads in Predynastic burials, lapis lazuli was regularly used throughout Egyptian history in jewelry and for small objects, such as amulets and the exceptional statuette.   This lecture discusses the evolution of lapis lazuli’s use in ancient Egypt and how the stone’s importance can be better understood from considering the objects made from this rare deep blue stone. 

Speaker: Diana Craig Patch, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC