Africa
Egypt Color Palette
Lapis lazuli, gold leaf, and Nile reed green — the oldest organized color system on record.
Ancient Egyptian palette is documented across 3,000 years of preserved tomb walls and papyri: ground lapis lazuli (imported from Afghanistan and worth its weight in gold) for the blue of the gods' skin, malachite green for fertility and resurrection, ochre yellow as a stand-in for gold leaf, hematite red for the king. The supporting palette includes the cream of Nile linen, the deep black of kohl eye-paint, and the warm brown of papyrus reed. Modern Egyptian design pulls from both this antiquity and the saturated turquoise of the Mediterranean coast.
The palette
Lapis Lazuli
≈Cobalt Dusk ClearCrushed lapis lazuli, imported via Sinai trade
Gold Leaf Yellow
≈Saffron Tone PureHammered gold; Nubian sand
Malachite Green
≈Jade Velvet SoftCopper carbonate, Sinai mines
Hematite Red
≈Scarlet Dusk VividIron oxide tomb-wall pigment
Linen Cream
≈Amber Pearl SoftBleached Nile flax
Kohl Black
≈Crimson Ink DustGalena (lead sulfide) eye paint
Papyrus Tan
≈Apricot Tone SoftCyperus papyrus reed paper
Suits
Heritage brand designMuseum and exhibition graphicsLuxury hospitalitySpice / oil packaging
Copy as CSS
:root {
--lapis-lazuli: #1f4287;
--gold-leaf-yellow: #fcc72e;
--malachite-green: #3d9970;
--hematite-red: #a8201a;
--linen-cream: #ede0c8;
--kohl-black: #0e0e0e;
--papyrus-tan: #c1a36f;
}