244 plijtt's natubal histoet. [Book XXXV. 



known as *' appianura/'''^ a fair imitation of chiysocolla ; just 

 as though we had not had to mention sufficient of these coun- 

 terfeits ah'eady. This colour, too, is prepared from a green 

 chalk, the usual price of it being one sesterce per pound. 



CHAP. 30. ANULAEIAN WHITE. 



The other colour is that known as *' anularian'^ white ;" 

 being used for giving a brilliant whiteness to the figures of 

 females.''^ This, too, is prepared from a kind of chalk, combined 

 with the glassy paste which the lower classes wear in their 

 rings f ^ hence it is, that it has the name " anulare." 



CHAP. 31. (7.) WHICH COLOURS DO NOT ADMIT OF BEING 



LAID ON A WET COATING. 



Those among the colours which require a dry, cretaceous, 

 coating,'^ and refuse to adhere to a wet surface, are purpurissum, 

 indicum, cseruleum,''^ melinum, orpiment, appianum, and 

 ceruse. Wax, too, is stained with all these colouring substances 

 for encaustic painting ;''^ a process which does not admit of 



'" So called, probably, either from the place where it was made, or 

 from the person who first discovered it. Some commentators have sug- 

 gested that it should be " apian" green, meaning " parsley" colour. 



'1 So called from "anulus," a "ring," as mentioned below. 



'2 " Quo muliebres picturse illuminantur." The meaning of this pas- 

 sage is obscure. It would seem almost to apply to paintings, but Beck- 

 mann is of opinion that the meaning is, " This is the beautiful white with 

 which the ladies paint or ornament themselves." — Hist. luv. Vol. II. p. 

 261. Bohn's Edition. 



■^3 Beckmann suggests that it was so called from its being one of the 

 sealing earths, *' anulus" being the name of a signet ring. Vol. II. p. 260. 



'* "Cretulam." '^ See B. xxxiii. c. 57. 



's See Chapter 39, where this process is more fully described. " * Cert?,' 

 or 'waxes,' was the ordinary term for painters' colours among the Eo- 

 mans, but more especially encaustic colours, which were probably kept dry 

 in boxes, and the wet brush or pencil was rubbed upon them when colour 

 was required, or they were moistened by the artist previous to commencing 

 work. From the term • cerae' it would appear that wax constituted the 

 principal ingredient in the colouring vehicle used ; but this does not ne- 

 cessarily follow, and it is very improbable that it did ; there must have 

 been a great portion of gum or resin in the colours, or they could not have 

 hardened. Wax was undoubtedly a most essential ingredient, since it 

 apparently prevents the colours from cracking. ' Ceras' therefore might 

 originally simply mean colours which contained wax, in contradistinction 

 to those which did not ; but was afterwards applied generally by the Ro- 

 mans to the colours of painters." — Wornura, Smith's Diet. Anti(j. Art. 

 Fainting. 



