Il blu egiziano a Kainua. Dai pigmenti alla policromia su terracotta

Small masses of blue and red pigment found out during the excavation of the temple of Uni in Marzabotto have been studied by employing XRF, FT-IR, and micro-Raman techniques. Thanks to these different spectroscopic techniques, the identification of red ochre and Egyptian blue pigments has been ascertained. The findings of Egyptian blue masses and the attestations of its use in the Etruscan area allow to hypothesize its provenance, the trade carriers and the beginnings of circulation. The VIL technique has been applied on some architectural terracottas in the National Etruscan Museum of Marzabotto to investigate the presence of Egyptian blue, never attested before in the Etruscan Po Valley. The analysis permits to better understand the decoration pattern, the fabrication techniques and the specialised production of some tiles painted with Egyptian blue. Moreover, the study of the polychromy on terracottas gives the possibility to make a realistic reconstruction of the decorative elements in the city.