Armenian bole

Description

An old name for a soft red ocher. Armenian bole is a natural mixture of hydrated silicate clays colored with red iron oxide. Since at least the 17th century, it has been used as a foundation for gold leaf. Armenian bole is also used as a red earth pigment.

Synonyms and Related Terms

bol de Armenia (Esp.); bolo armeno (It.); bolo/bolus de Arménia (Port.)

Authority

• R.D. Harley, Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835, Butterworth Scientific, London, 1982

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982

• Teri Hensick, contributed information, 1998