The 'Mapping Color in History Project' led by Jinah Kim seeks to establish a database on pigments used in South Asian art. Initially prompted by the discovery of cobalt in a historic Jain manuscript, Kim interrogated the narrative surrounding pigment origins, suggesting that indigenous practices may predate imported European techniques. Through collaboration with conservation scientists, the project intends to revise understandings of color in South Asian art, emphasizing the need for research beyond a predominantly Western European framework.
"What do we know about actual pigment usage in this region at this time period? Does it all have to come from Europe? It's possible there are indigenous knowledge of colorants that we don't know about."
"I realized a lot of pigment databases available out there are based on a Western European canon, because that's where the research has been."
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