Hierarchy classification:

1. top of the aat hierarchies
2. Materials Facet
3. Materials (hierarchy name)
4. materials (substances)
5. [materials by function]
6. colorant (material)
7. pigments
8. [pigment by color]
9. brown pigment
10. organic brown pigment

Narrower term/s

• mummy (pigment)

Anotations

Scope note:

A transparent brown, asphalt-based pigment used in watercolor, oil paints, and glazes, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is an oily material that can slow the drying of linseed oil producing a soft film. With time, asphaltum in dried oil films can result in the movement or disfigurement of the film as well as allligator cracks. Asphaltum was sold commercially as a transparent brown artist pigment under the name "bitumen."