00:00Imagine standing in a royal workshop in ancient Thebes, over 3,400 years ago.
00:06There, a master artist named Ammonimope holds his palette, carved from luxurious ivory.
00:12This wasn't just a tool.
00:14It was a lifelong companion dating back to the 14th century B.C., during the Golden Age of the 18th
00:21Dynasty.
00:21Look closely at the details.
00:24The black circle, extracted from carbon soot, it was used to define the features of the gods and scribe, the
00:30words of wisdom.
00:32The red circle, a pigment from mountain ochre, used to breathe life into faces and highlight significant text.
00:39The central groove, the secret home for his brushes, handcrafted from reed plants.
00:45This piece is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian ingenuity, the world's very first version of what we now call watercolors.
00:54Ammonimope didn't use liquid paints.
00:56Instead, he used dry cakes that he would activate by dipping his brush in water, turning raw minerals into eternal
01:03art.
01:04Ammonimope didn't leave his palette silent.
01:06He engraved his name along with prayers to Thoth, the god of wisdom, asking for a steady hand and a
01:13sharp eye.
01:14Today, when we see this palette in the museum, the colors remain so vivid, it feels as if the artist
01:19just laid down his brush yesterday.
01:22It isn't just a piece of ivory.
01:24It is the biography of an Egyptian artist who believed his art was stronger than time.
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