Red lead: Ukiyo-e colorant
Red lead 鉛丹 (entan): The common name for a heavy, opaque, orange-red pigment composed of Lead tetroxide. Although chemically equivalent to the mineral minium, red lead has been synthetically prepared by roasting lead white (480 °C) since before the 5th century BCE.
From early hand-colored prints to nishiki-e (錦絵) or fully color printed images, red lead was continously used as a color for woodblock printing. It can appear as a light pink, reddish orange or dark reddish brown in color. The light pink color, often seen in wooden architectural elements is most likely a mixture of red lead with lead white. Like lead white, red lead can darken when exposed to Hydrogen sulfide. It is thought that in some cases red lead was intentionally darkened to form a dark gray metallic sheen or patina. In order to create this effect, Acetic acid was likely applied to the printed area of red lead and then exposed to hydrogen sulfide, mostly in the form of rotten eggs.
For additional information see: Red lead
Examples of Red lead in Ukiyo-e Prints
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Analysis
X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is used to detect lead (Pb), which in a red or pink area, is an indication for the presence of red lead (Pb3O4).
XRF spectrum of Red lead
Images of Red lead
Red lead
Red lead at 200x
Red lead at 200x, polarized light
Printed red lead and darkened red lead
List of Prints
Below is a list of prints where red lead was detected.
Pages in category "Red lead: Ukiyo-e colorant"
The following 23 pages are in this category, out of 23 total.
H
- Harunobu, Ebisu and Ofuji, from the series The Seven Gods of Good Fortune in the Modern World, 34.343
- Harunobu, Nishikigi of the Kanaya Lighting Incense beside a Mosquito Net, 11.16479
- Harunobu, The Sake Cup, sheet 4 of the series Marriage in Brocade Prints, the Carriage of the Virtuous Woman, known as the Marriage series, 11.19475
- Hiroshige I/Hiroshige II, Ueno Yamashita, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 11.35842
K
- Kiyomitsu I, Actor Ichikawa Yaozô I as Soga no Gorô Tokimune, 06.401
- Kiyomitsu I, Actor Segawa Kikunojô II as Seryômura Okiku, 11.18992
- Kiyonaga, Child Prodigy Minamoto no Shigeyuki Executing Calligraphy, 11.13883
- Koryusai, Descending Geese at Mimeguri, from the series Fashionable Eight Views of Edo, 11.14627
- Koryusai, Twilight Snow of the Bride, from the series Eight Views of Fashionable Human Relations, 11.19541
M
S
- Shigemasa, Bundle Tied with Straw; Calendar for 1815, 11.20149
- Shigenobu I, Puppy Playing with a Ball, 21.9257
- Shigenobu I, Urashima Tarô, from the series A Set of Five Examples of Longevity, 21.9254
- Shunkō, Actors Nakamura Nakazô I and Ôtani Hiroji III, 11.2014
- Shunshō, Actor Segawa Kikunojô III as Shirokiya Okoma, from the series Fans of the East, 11.14871
- Shunshō, No. 3, Comparative Poems, from the series Six Types of Waka Poetry as Described in the Preface of the Kokinshû, 11.19295
- Shunshō, No. 6, Cui Zongzhi (Saisôshi), from the series Eight Immortals of The Wine Cup, 11.14847