Cinnabar Oil Paint

Description

Cinnabar is our exquisitely hand crafted oil paint made with an extremely concentrated, high quality single source pigment. Every tube is meticulously hand mulled, filled, and labeled, using pure cold pressed walnut oil (linseed oil available upon request), less than 1% fumed silica as a stabilizer, and food grade lecithin as a natural wetting agent. Every paint is single pigment with maximum concentration and no fillers or extenders.

Cinnabar is a vivid, fiery red orange pigment made from the mineral mercury sulfide (HgS), historically prized for its unparalleled vibrancy and luminous depth. Used in ancient China, Rome, and throughout the Renaissance, cinnabar was considered sacred and symbolic, appearing in imperial palaces, religious art, and alchemical texts. Our Cinnabar oil paint is carefully prepared from high purity natural cinnabar, producing a rich, opaque scarlet with subtle granulation and a smooth, creamy consistency.

Because of its high mercury content, Cinnabar is offered for historical and professional use only, with proper handling precautions. It is ideal for artists, conservators, and collectors working in restoration, historical palettes, or museum quality projects. Its brilliance is unmatched, offering a glimpse into the alchemical, ceremonial, and imperial worlds of the past.

Key Features

Single Source Pigment: Each product features one pure pigment.

Handmade Artisanal Process: Crafted in small batches, our oil paints are hand mulled on a stone slab and hand filled in aluminum tubes to preserve the integrity of the pigment.

Maximum Pigment Load: Designed to provide maximum color saturation, our formula contains no fillers or extenders.

Recommended Use: Use straight from the tube or thin with oil mediums, solvents, waxes, or oils for different textures, levels of fluidity, finishes, and handling properties.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural inorganic mineral pigment
Source: Mercury sulfide (natural cinnabar mineral)
Origin: China
Lightfastness: Excellent
Opacity: Opaque with mild granulation
Other Names: Vermilion (when synthetic), Dragon's Blood (archaic), Chinese Red
Color Index Code: PR106
Image: Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale from the MET

Production Process

Our oil paints are carefully hand mulled and mixed with pure cold pressed walnut oil, ensuring an exceptionally concentrated and vibrant product. The entire process is carried out by hand, from mixing and mulling to filling and labeling, so you can be confident in the artisanal quality of every tube through our historic processes.

Usage & Care

Please store in a secure area away from children and pets, and dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly manner in accordance with all local, state, and national regulations.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Health and Safety

• For art use only. Not for cosmetic, food or children's use.
• Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not eat, drink or smoke while working.
• Avoid skin contact and wash hands after use. Wipe brushes and palettes clean before rinsing, and never pour paint waste down drains. Do not spray apply, sand dried paint or burn.
• If swallowed or if you feel unwell, contact a poison control center (U.S. 1-800-222-1222) or a doctor.
• Safety Data Sheet available on request.

Caution: Contains mercury sulfide. May cause an allergic skin reaction. Contact with acids releases toxic gas. Never heat or burn, which releases toxic mercury vapor. Not for use by children or by anyone pregnant. Toxic to aquatic life; never rinse into drains.

WARNING: This product can expose you to mercury compounds, which are known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.