History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s3.t1.15

v1.c20.s3.t1.15

During Vedic times and later on, ritual pots were painted with floral and geometrical designs in red, yellow blue and green colours. Vermilion (mercuric sulphide) or *dhau* (ruddle) was used from red pigment, yellow colour was obtained from turmeric or from yellow earth (a kind of ochre), blue from indigo, green from leaves, of particular trees and iron sulphate. Grey was prepared from a kind of haematite, orange pigments were obtained by mixing red and yellow colours. Copper sulphate was mixed with red pigment to obtain purple pigment. Usually these pigments were prepared in plain water.