Stone Cinnabar Genuine Pigment

Description

Natural Chinese Cinnabar is a handmade single pigment made through a historical process of finely grinding raw cinnabar stone. This deep, rich red pigment has been prized for centuries for its intense color and smooth application. Unlike synthetic vermilion, natural cinnabar has subtle variations in hue due to its mineral composition.

Cinnabar is highly opaque and possesses a brilliant, warm red hue with slight orange undertones. It has been used extensively in traditional Chinese lacquerware, manuscript illumination, and oil painting. However it requires careful safe handling.

This pigment is most commonly used in oil and tempera painting, though it has been applied in frescoes and manuscript painting throughout history.

Natural cinnabar is renowned for its exceptional color saturation, making it an ideal pigment for artists seeking historical accuracy in restoration projects or traditional painting methods.

History

Cinnabar has been an essential red pigment for millennia, used across multiple civilizations:

In Ancient China, cinnabar was used in painting, sculpture, and lacquerware. It was also highly valued in Daoist alchemy and medicine, where it was believed to grant immortality, though this often led to mercury poisoning. The pigment was commonly found in imperial tombs and ceremonial objects.

The Romans prized cinnabar for its use in fresco painting and cosmetics, though its high cost meant it was often reserved for wealthy patrons. Roman artisans sourced the pigment from Spain's Almadon mines, one of the largest mercury deposits in the world. In the pictured artwork of a wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, natural stone cinnabar is used extensively for the rich red-orange background and chair.

During the Middle Ages, cinnabar was used extensively in illuminated manuscripts and panel paintings. It was often applied alongside gold leaf to create rich, decorative effects. Due to its high price, it was sometimes adulterated with red lead or artificially manufactured into synthetic vermilion.

By the Renaissance, cinnabar remained a preferred pigment for artists like Titian and Raphael. However, as awareness of its toxicity grew, alternatives like synthetic vermilion became more widely used.

Today, natural cinnabar is rare and primarily used in historical restorations, traditional Chinese painting, and as a collector's pigment.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Mineral)

Source: Cinnabar stone (HgS, Mercury Sulfide)

Country of Origin: China

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour

Lightfastness: Best

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Stone Vermilion, Dragon's Blood (historically), Chinese Cinnabar

Color Index Code: PR106

Image: Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale from the MET