Saturday, December 1, 2007

Strange Materials of Pigments

The beauty of pigments is one of the appeal of Japanese painting.
Do you know the materials of pigments? There are some strange materials.

*Gunjo
A blue pigment made from azurite, a mineral which is found in copper ore deposits. It is expensive because it is produced in small quantities.

*Lapis lazuli
A blue pigment made from lazurite. It is often called Ultramarine.

*Rokusho
A green pigment made from malachite. It was used for mural paintings in the stone caves in China from around the 8th century.

*Shu
A red pigment. It is prepared from the reaction of mercury with sulfur.

*Gohun
A white pigment made from powdered oyster shells. It is also used for softening other colors by blending.

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