Cinnabar Red
Cinnabar is one of China's oldest pigments, used for pottery decoration since the Neolithic Age. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, cinnabar became the standard color for official seals, giving rise to the term "vermillion brush" for imperial decrees.
Ground from natural cinnabar ore (mercury sulfide), one of China's oldest mineral pigments.
Cinnabar symbolizes auspiciousness, joy, and vitality. In Five Elements theory, red corresponds to fire, south, and summer, representing yang energy. Taoism considers cinnabar protective against evil.
Cinnabar use dates back 7,000 years to the Hemudu culture. Extensively used in Shang and Zhou lacquerware and murals. The Terracotta Army and Mawangdui tombs contain vivid cinnabar pigments still vibrant today.
Cinnabar pigment is made by crushing, washing, precipitating, and grinding natural cinnabar ore. The finest grades use the water-floating method to separate particles by settling speed, repeated many times for vivid, fine pigment.
Mawangdui Han Tomb Lacquerware
西汉Cinnabar paintings remain vivid after more than two millennia.
Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
秦Cinnabar simulated rivers in the underground palace, symbolizing imperial territory.
Today cinnabar is mainly used in traditional painting, seal carving, and cultural preservation. Though industrial use has declined due to mercury content, it remains irreplaceable in East Asian calligraphy and painting.
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朱砂颜色好，不似杏花红。