DID YOU KNOW…
Mummy Brown: The Pigment Made from Ancient Egyptian Corpses
For centuries, European artists crafted masterpieces using a distinctive brown pigment called 'Mummy Brown,' which was literally made from ground-up remains of ancient Egyptian mummies. This macabre color was prized for its rich, transparent qualities and warm tones.
The peculiar practice of utilizing mummified human remains for both medicine and art began in the Middle Ages, with 'mummia' (mummy powder) initially believed to possess medicinal properties. By the 16th century, this macabre material found its way onto artists' palettes. Mummy Brown pigment was highly sought after for its unique reddish-brown hue and excellent transparency, making it perfect for creating shadows, flesh tones, and glazes. The demand was so significant that it contributed to the desecration of numerous tombs, with the last known commercially available tubes of Mummy Brown reportedly selling into the early 20th century before supplies dwindled and ethical objections grew.
Love discovering things like this?
A new fact every day with photos, on the free app.
Run a business? This line is for you. Everyone else, read on.
I wrote this page once and it has been working on its own ever since, including tonight while I sleep.
I build the storefront for your business, under your own name, and you see it before you pay anything. If you don't like it, that's the end of it.
Show me my shopBlackstar Digital Studio · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Made in Italy 🇮🇹