White earth

Description

A general class of minerals that produce a fine white powder when ground, such as Chalk, Seashells, Kaolinite, Gypsum, Huntite, and Diatomaceous earth. White earths have been used directly as pigments, extenders and as a base for some lake pigments.

It is not the same as Terra alba (Mayer 1969).

Synonyms and Related Terms

terre blanche (Fr.);

Resources and Citations

• Ruth Siddall, 'Mineral Pigments in Archaeology: Their Analysis and the Range of Available Materials' Minerals Vol 8, p. 201 (2018). Link
• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)