Vermilion (Cinnabar)

Ingredients

Cinnabar ore, Weak acid, Water, Arabic gum

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The cinnabar ore is pulverized and rinsed with a weak acid. The powder is then washed with water two or three times to remove mud and impurities. After the powder precipitates and the water is poured away, the pigment is dried. Arabic gum is added incrementally until the mixture is ready for use (pp. 12-13). A synthetic version is also mentioned, involving heating a mixture of mercury and sulfur with bran and goat hair (p. 13).

Evidence

"To make red vermilion, cinnabar ore is first pulverized and then it is rinsed with a weak acid. After the initial rinse with weak acid, the resulting powder will be washed with water two or three times to completely remove the mud and impurities."

Remarks

Vermilion is stable but darkens under direct sunlight, a change that occurs more rapidly in synthetic versions due to the formation of semi-stable mercuric sulfide (p. 12). Cinnabar has been used since the 2nd millennium BC (p. 12).