Pre-Columbian Art
200 BCE–1500 CEThe color traditions of Mesoamerican and South American civilizations — murals, ceramics, and textiles using pigments unknown to the Old World.
Maya blue (a synthetic pigment of indigo + palygorskite clay), cochineal red from insects, and mineral pigments on lime plaster and ceramic. These pigments are extraordinarily durable — Maya blue survives centuries in tropical conditions.
Bonampak Muralists
580–800Maya
The anonymous Maya painters of the Bonampak murals — the most complete surviving cycle of pre-Columbian painting. Three rooms showing battle, triumph, and ritual.
The Bonampak murals use Maya blue — an artificial pigment made by heating indigo with palygorskite clay. It is one of the most chemically stable pigments ever created by any civilization.
Pigments: Lime white · Green earth · Malachite · Ochre
Nazca Ceramic Painters
-100–600Nazca (Peru)
The Nazca civilization of coastal Peru produced the most colorful ceramics in the pre-Columbian world — up to 15 different slip colors on a single vessel.
Nazca polychrome uses mineral slip pigments (finely ground minerals in clay suspension) applied before firing. The range of colors achievable rivals any ceramic tradition in world history.
Related Materials
If this palette inspired you, here’s what to paint with.
Natural Earth Paint Pigment Sample Pack, 20 Mineral PigmentsView on Amazon
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Moleskine Art Plus Watercolor Album, LargeView on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, Pigmentoria earns from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links.