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 glimmers in the light and was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality. During the Predynastic period only green and blue faience occurred. However, from the Old Kingdom onwards alternative colours such as black, yellow and red were added to the palette. It was used to create a wide range of items, from beads and amulets, to bowls and cups. Due to its mass production it was also used frequently to imitate more expensive materials, for example turquoise faience for semi-precious turquoise, green faience for feldspar etc. The idea in doing so meant that apotropaic values associated with a particular colour were still represented by the imitating faience. Gilding faience was a way to impart the apotropaic qualities of gold, for a fraction of the cost.
To find out more about Egyptian faience please see our relevant blog post: What is Egyptian Faience?
