White earth
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Description
A general class of minerals that produce a fine white powder when ground, such as Chalk, Kaolinite, diatomite, and Gypsum. 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)