Umber (pigment)

Current name

Information from the Getty AAT

umber (pigment)

A natural brown clay earth pigment that contains iron and manganese oxides, silica, alumina, and lime; tending to be less orange-red than sienna. The term refers to the region of Umbria, Italy, although the pigment is found elsewhere in the world, notably on Cyprus. It has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times.

Historical names