Cinnabar

The name is taken from Persian for "Dragon's Blood", cinnabar is mercury ore.

Villa of Mysteries

Tribute Horse and Groom Chao Yung

Vermilion is the colour name and pigment of Mercury Sulphide, a pot of this pigment was found prefectly preserved in Pompeii, the 'Villa of Mysteries' has a room in this vibrant colour.

Previously used as a dye, but highly toxic because of the mercury content, powdered it was used to colour lacquer to create decorative items such as beads and snuff bottles.

Vermilion could also be produced with mercury and sulphur, used by alchemists as they believed that gold could be produced from this pigment.

The lacquer used is the natural resin from rhus verniciflua a species of tree native to Southern China.