Quick answer
Real papyrus is made from strips of the papyrus plant's pith laid in two crossing layers and pressed into a sheet, and it shows a visible grid of fibres when held to the light. The cheap sheets sold by hawkers are usually banana leaf, which is thin, uniform and cracks when rolled. Buy from a shop where you can handle the sheet, check whether the painting is by hand or printed, and roll it in a tube to bring home.
How is a papyrus sheet made?
A sheet is made by slicing the pith of the papyrus stem into thin strips, laying one layer vertically and a second across it, then pressing the two until they bond into a single sheet. The plant, Cyperus papyrus, is a tall sedge with a triangular stem topped by a mop of fine green threads, and it can reach about five metres in the shallow water it likes.
Modern makers cut the stems into lengths, peel off the hard green rind and slice the white pith into strips a few millimetres thick. The strips are soaked in water for several days, often rolled flat with a rolling pin to squeeze out sugars, then laid edge to edge with a slight overlap. A second layer goes on at right angles and the sheet is pressed between absorbent cloth or board for several days. The plant's own sticky juices bind the layers, so no glue is used.
The colour tells you something about the process. Strips soaked briefly give a pale cream sheet; longer soaking produces the honey and darker brown tones you see on many paintings. Neither is better, but on a real sheet the colour is never perfectly even.
Why does papyrus matter so much in Egypt's story?
Papyrus was ancient Egypt's writing material for some 3,000 years, and almost everything we know from Egyptian literature, letters and religious texts survives on it. The oldest known roll, still blank, was found in the First Dynasty tomb of the official Hemaka at Saqqara, from around 3000 BC. The oldest inscribed papyri yet found, the logbooks of an inspector named Merer discovered in 2013 at Wadi al-Jarf on the Red Sea coast, record boats carrying limestone to Giza in the reign of Khufu.
Scribes used reed brushes and pens with black carbon ink and red ochre for headings, which is where the word "rubric" comes from. Long rolls were made by pasting sheets end to end, and the most famous are the funerary texts placed in tombs, which our guide to the Book of the Dead explains. The plant gave its name, through Greek, to the English word "paper".
After paper and parchment replaced it, papyrus disappeared almost completely from the Egyptian wild. Its revival as a craft is usually credited to Hassan Ragab, an Egyptian engineer and diplomat who reintroduced the plant and worked out how to make sheets again in the 1960s. Today much of the papyrus sold in Egypt comes from farming villages in the Delta, Al-Qaramous in Sharqia governorate being the best known, where families grow, press and paint it.
Real papyrus or banana leaf: how do you tell?
Hold the sheet up to the light: real papyrus shows a grid of crossing strips with darker lines where they overlap, while banana leaf is thin, even and often glossy. The hawkers at monument car parks selling a handful of sheets for a few dollars are almost always offering banana leaf, which looks convincing in a plastic sleeve but does not last.
- Light test: real papyrus has visible strips running in both directions and flecks of fibre in the pith. Banana leaf is uniform or shows fine lines running one way only.
- Edges: look at the margins of a real sheet and you can often see the ends of individual strips. Banana leaf has clean, papery edges.
- Thickness and feel: papyrus is noticeably thicker, slightly textured and a little uneven. Banana leaf feels thin and smooth.
- Roll test: genuine papyrus rolls gently without damage. Banana leaf cracks along the fold, and the paint flakes with it.
- Water test: some shops wet and crumple a blank sheet of real papyrus to show it survives. That is a fair demonstration on a blank sheet, never on a painting.
Is the painting by hand or printed?
Look closely at the outlines and colour: hand painting shows brush marks, small variations and paint that sits on the surface, while printed work has flat, perfectly even lines. Many mid-range papyri are a mix, with a screen-printed outline coloured in by hand. That is not a fraud if it is described honestly, but it should cost much less than fully hand-painted work.
Check fine details such as hieroglyphs, faces and jewellery. On good hand-painted work the hieroglyphs are crisp and correctly formed, gold paint is applied with care, and the artist has usually signed the sheet. Raking light from the side shows the raised texture of the paint. Identical paintings stacked twenty deep in a shop are a sign of printing.
The most popular subjects are copies of famous tomb and temple scenes: the weighing of the heart before Osiris, Tutankhamun and his queen from the back of his golden throne, Nefertari led by Isis, the sky goddess Nut and the zodiac from Dendera. A good copy is faithful to the original's colours and proportions. You can also have your name painted in hieroglyphs inside a cartouche, usually while you wait.
Where should you buy papyrus, and what should you pay?
Buy from a shop where you can handle the sheets and compare several artists, and expect to pay noticeably more for genuine hand-painted work than street prices suggest. Khan el-Khalili, the tourist souq in Luxor and the Aswan souq all have papyrus shops of varying quality. Galleries on organised tours generally sell real papyrus but at prices that include commission; our guide to shopping and factory stops explains how they work.
The ranges below are indicative only, at the time of writing, for genuine papyrus. Bazaar prices are negotiable; see our haggling guide.
| Size and quality | Indicative price (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Small (about postcard to A5), printed outline, hand-coloured | A$5–15 |
| Small to A4, fully hand-painted | A$10–40 |
| A3 to large, good hand-painted copy of a tomb scene | A$50–200 |
| Large, detailed work by a named artist | A$200 and up |
How do you get papyrus home and look after it?
Carry papyrus rolled, painted side out, inside a cardboard tube in your hand luggage, and declare it as plant material when you land in Australia or New Zealand. Biosecurity officers usually inspect and release papyrus paintings, but they must be declared; our planned guide to bringing souvenirs home to Australia covers the rules. Never fold a sheet: a crease breaks the fibres and the paint along it.
At home, frame papyrus behind UV-filtering glass with a mount that keeps the sheet off the glass, and hang it away from direct sun, which fades the pigments within a few years. Do not laminate it. In humid parts of Australia, such as coastal Queensland in summer, keep it in an air-conditioned or well-ventilated room, because damp encourages mould and makes the sheet ripple.
Frequently asked questions
Is papyrus sold in Egypt real?
Papyrus from established shops and galleries generally is. The cheap sheets sold by street hawkers at monuments are usually banana leaf. Hold a sheet to the light and look for crossing strips.
How much should a papyrus painting cost in Egypt?
As an indicative guide at the time of writing, a small fully hand-painted sheet costs roughly A$10–40, and a large, detailed painting A$50–200 or more. Printed and hand-coloured sheets cost less.
Can I take papyrus into Australia?
Yes. Declare it as plant material on your incoming passenger card; papyrus paintings are usually inspected and released.
How do I stop papyrus fading?
Frame it behind UV-filtering glass and hang it out of direct sunlight. Keep it dry and never laminate it.
Can I have my name written on papyrus?
Yes. Most papyrus shops will paint your name in hieroglyphs inside a cartouche, often while you wait. Our cartouches guide explains what the oval means.
