{"product_id":"maya-green-pigment-425137976","title":"Maya Green Pigment","description":"\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaya Green is one of the most extraordinary pigments of the ancient world, created by combining the deep blue dye extracted from Indigofera suffruticosa (añil, a native Central American indigo plant) with the fibrous clay mineral palygorskite with yellow iron impurities turning it a green-grey hue. The dye molecules bond at high heat with the channels of the clay, creating a pigment of unmatched brilliance, permanence, and cultural significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe resulting powder is a luminous smoky green with subtle grey undertones. In painting, Maya Green is semi-transparent, lightly granulating, and produces radiant, ethereal washes in watercolor and tempera. Its stability surpasses nearly all other natural organic\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003emineral pigments, retaining vibrancy for centuries even in tropical climates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst developed by the Maya around the 8th century CE (possibly earlier), Maya Green was used extensively in wall paintings, codices, ceramics, and sacred rituals. Its formula was a closely guarded tradition, blending indigo dye with a yellow-tinged palygorskite clay sourced from regions in Mexico such as Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnlike ordinary indigo dyes, which fade or wash away, Maya Green is nearly indestructible: it resists acids, alkalis, solvents, biodegradation, and centuries of weathering. Archaeologists have uncovered murals at Bonampak, Chichen Itza, and other Maya sites that still shine with brilliant blue centuries later.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpanish chroniclers noted its ceremonial importance, including use in incense, offerings, and ritual body painting. Its creation represents a pinnacle of indigenous chemical knowledge\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003ean intentional fusion of organic and mineral chemistry long before modern science could explain it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, Maya Green remains a marvel studied by archaeologists, chemists, and artisans, and is still made by traditional methods using true añil (Indigofera suffruticosa) and Mexican palygorskite.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePigment Information\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePigment Type: Organic\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003eInorganic Hybrid Pigment\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComponents: Indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa) + Palygorskite (fibrous magnesium aluminum silicate clay)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour, Lime \/ Fresco\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLightfastness: Excellent\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpacity: Semi-Transparent\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther Names: Anil, Maya Blue, Indigo\u003cspan\u003e-\u003c\/span\u003ePalygorskite Blue\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eColor Index Code: Natural (no CI designation; indigo CI = NB1 when unbound)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePictured Artwork: Fresco from the Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Morrow Archival","offers":[{"title":"2 Grams","offer_id":47875248259294,"sku":"PL-451-0000-0002g","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Grams","offer_id":47875248292062,"sku":"PL-451-0000-0010g","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20 Grams","offer_id":47875248324830,"sku":"PL-451-0000-0020g","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0739\/2821\/2702\/files\/8fa0573a-e6b7-4057-8468-4cfe34928aa9-copy.jpg?v=1769982486","url":"https:\/\/morrowarchival.com\/products\/maya-green-pigment-425137976","provider":"Morrow Archival","version":"1.0","type":"link"}