Don’t you just love comparing paint swatches, ‘having a spin’ at the
Pantone colour wheel, flipping through hundreds of books and magazines, … and then suddenly
finding that perfect hue? If so, then you owe a big thank you to
Edward Forbes. As the director of Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum from 1909 to 1944, Forbes traveled the world to collect more than 2,500 pigments from ‘Mummy Brown’ – yes, he amassed actual mummy dust – to so-called ‘Dragon’s Blood’. Talk about
colour management, right? The Forbes collection includes
seven of the rarest colours in the world …
1. Lapis Lazuli
Lapus Lazuli is a blue mineral so rare that in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance it was actually more valuable than gold. Today it is still a much sought-after stone prized for its
intense blue hue. The most beautiful Lapis Lazuli stones are sourced in Afghanistan.
2. Quercitron
Quercitron is a yellow pigment that comes from bark of the
Quercus velutina (black oak), a tree that grows in the Eastern and Midwestern parts of North America.
3. Cochineal
Cochineal is a red pigment obtained from
squashed beetles that’s mainly used in – brace yourself – food and cosmetics.
4. Dragon’s Blood
As the name suggests, Dragon’s Blood is made of
actual dragon’s blood … No, we’re just kidding, of course! Dragon’s Blood is a bright red pigment that is extracted from the rattan palm.
5. Mummy Brown
In the 18
th, 19
th and early 20
th centuries, people would travel to Egypt to
harvest mummies and turn the dust and wrappings they scraped off the bodies into a brown pigment they appropriately – or better said, inappropriately? – called Mummy Brown.
6. Brazilwood
Caesalpinia echinata or Brazilwood is a tree native to Brazil – of course – and prized for the deep brownish red colour of its trunk. Brazilwood is typically used to dye leather, textile,
musical instruments and high-quality furniture.
7. Cadmium Yellow
First introduced in the mid-19
th century, cadmium yellow pigment was used by many impressionists who fell in love with its zesty appearance. Unfortunately, cadmium is an
extremely toxic metal that is known to cause cancer, kidney failure and softening of the bones, among other life-threatening health conditions. Cadmium was commonly used in
children’s toys up until the 1970s and these days is predominantly used in batteries.
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