Mummy

We prepare this family of pigments from deposits in the Kaluzhskaya Oblast, Russia. It is known among artists in Russia as "mummy", because of it resemblance to a same-named pigment highly prized in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Mummy (Iron Oxide)

A reddish brown pigment containing over 35% hematite. We make our mummy from iron-rich desposits in the Kaluzhskaya province.

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Pigment Information: Mummy (Iron Oxide)

Color: Brown Colour Index: Not Listed ASTM Lightfastness: Not Tested

A reddish brown pigment containing over 35% hematite. We make our mummy from the iron-rich desposits in the Kaluzhskaya province. The largest deposits of this iron-rich mummy are found in the Bechesyn-Bermamytskoye deposit on the Stavropol border and Shilkinskoye deposit in the Chitinskaya province. It is a farily opaque reddish brown with good tinting strength.
Permanence and Compatibility: Our mummy is composed of iron oxides, which are considered to be quite permanent and stable in mixtures with all other pigments. It is very good in oils, and excellent in all aqueous mediums, such as egg tempera, casein, and gum arabic (watercolor). It performs well in wax (encaustic) and fresco techniques.
Oil Absorption and Grinding: No data has been published on the oil absorption properties of mummy.
Toxicity: Mummy is not considered toxic but care should be used in handling the dry powder pigment to avoid inhaling the dust.

Read cautions about handling pigments

Pigment Information: Mummy

Color: Brown Colour Index: Not Listed ASTM Lightfastness: Not Tested

We prepare this family of pigments from sources in Russia. We could not find an equivalent for it in Europe or the Western Hemisphere. However, 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. The mummy that we make is not a mineral species, but a natural mixture of minerals consisting of clay, quartz, goethite and hematite. The latter two minerals determine the color of mummy, while the remaining ingredients are inert substances that can vary the opacity or tinting strength of the pigment. The color of mummy can vary from yellow to red and finally to dark violet. The latter color is usually known as Caput Mortum. The total content of goethite and hematite usually does not exceed 60% in mummy. The more hematite in relation to goethite the redder the mummy. A larger proportion of goethite strengthens the pigment in the yellow spectrum.
Origin: Our mummy is made from mineral deposits in the Kaluzhskaya province of Russia. The various mummy pigments vary from transparent to opaque, with medium to good hiding power and medium to excellent tinting strength.
Permanence and Compatibility: Our mummy is composed of iron oxides, which are considered to be quite permanent and stable in mixtures with all other pigments. It is very good in oils, and excellent in all aqueous mediums, such as egg tempera, casein, and gum arabic (watercolor). It performs well in wax (encaustic) and fresco techniques.
Oil Absorption and Grinding: No data has been published on the oil absorption properties of mummy.
Toxicity: Mummy is not considered toxic but care should be used in handling the dry powder pigment to avoid inhaling the dust.

Read cautions about handling pigments