Mummy (Iron Oxide)
| CI Name | CI stands for "Color Index". It's a short code that easily identifies the pigment. Not all pigments have one. | |
|---|---|---|
| Toxicity | Low | The general rule of thumb to follow is to not inhale, ingest, feed to pets or babies, pour on the ground, or leave on skin. All pigments should be assumed to be dangerous, and potentially lethal if mishandled. If the pigment has high or extreme toxicity, it might be better not to use it at all. |
| Lightfastness | ? | Unknown
No data available. |
| Transparency | ? | Unknown
No data available. |
| Description | The color of mummy can vary from yellow to red and finally to dark violet. It is known among artists in Russia as "mummy", because it resembles the color of a pigment highly prized by artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. The historical pigment, which had its source in such organic matter as bitumen and asphaltum, was a fugitive color. It got its name from grisly rumors that the pigment was made by grinding Egyptian mummies. | |
| Composition | Possibly a mixture of clay, quartz, goethite and hematite. The more hematite in relation to goethite, the redder the mummy. | |
Paints
The following paints likely use this pigment.
Single-Pigment Watercolors
The paints listed here are not guaranteed to be single-pigment, but we found Mummy (Iron Oxide) listed as the only known pigment in our database.
More Information
Information on this website related to pigments has the distict possibility of being incorrect, out of date, or baffling. It is offered for the main purpose of being able to thoughtfully compare paints based on their composition, which also might be incorrect or out of date.
Please do your own independent research about pigments if you are interested in mixing your own paints. Check out the Art is Creation Pigment Database, or handprint.
If you want to help update pigment information, or want to just share something that can be fixed, you can send an email to librarian@paintlibrary.art.