Minium (pigment) 300 B.C. It was known in the Han Dynasty (200 BC-200 AD) under the name "cinnabar of lead" ("ch'ien tan"), The process of manufacturing it was described in a Chinese manuscript of the 5th century. Minium was widely used for Persian miniature painting and Indian miniature painting. Minium (pigment) Minium, also known as red lead, is a bright orange red pigment that was widely used in the Middle Ages for the decoration of manuscripts and for painting. It was made by roasting white lead pigment in the air; the white lead would gradually turn yellow, then into an orange lead
Pigment Because of the expense of lapis lazuli, much effort went into finding a less costly blue pigment. Prussian blue was the first modern synthetic pigment, discovered by accident in 1704. By the early 19th century, synthetic and metallic blue pigments had been added to the range of blues, including French ultramarine, a synthetic form of lapis lazuli, and the various forms of Cobalt and Cerulean blue. In the early 20th century, organic chemistry added Phthalo Blue, a synthetic, organometallic pigment with overwhelming tinting power. Discoveries in color science created new industries and drove changes in fashion and taste. The discovery