Faience is a glazed ceramic known for producing bright colours, especially blues, turquoises and greens. It is produced from quartz or sand crystals mixed with other compounds, finished with a vitreous alkaline glaze to the surface. Faience was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality and is thought to glimmer with the brilliance of eternity. During the Pre-dynastic period only green and blue faience occurred, however from the Old Kingdom onward, other colours such as black, yellow and red were added to the palette. Each colour has a different meaning, for example blue represents fertility and life whilst white represents purity and sacredness.
For more information on faience, please see the blog post: What is Egyptian Faience?
