Archaeology — Late Medieval; early-mid 14th century
Shell, oyster shell, paint palette
Illuminators and scribes ground their own pigments or purchased the ingredients in a prepared form from a stationer or apothecary. Various additives were used to modify colour, texture and opacity, and prepared mixtures were kept in oyster shells which were not only plentiful in medieval London, but could be easily cleaned, stacked, stored and transported. Several of these palettes, retaining traces of pigments derived from lapis lazuli and iron, lead and copper minerals, have been recovered from monastic sites in London.
