Han purple

English

Etymology

Han +‎ purple From being a purple pigment last used during the Han Dynasty.

Noun

Han purple (uncountable)

1. A pigment made from barium copper disilicate (“BaCuSi₂O₆”), the first artificial purple pigment, used by Chinese for over 2 millennia before dying out at the end of the Han dynasty.

Synonyms

• Chinese purple

Coordinate terms

• Egyptian blue (the first artificial pigment, and of chemical similarity to Han purple)

Related terms

• Han blue