Bole
A reddish-brown pigment made from fine clay, used under gold leaf in art
Bole is a reddish-brown colour, originally made from a soft clay used as a pigment and as a base layer beneath gold leaf in panel paintings and frames. The name comes from the Latin word for earth or dirt, and the pigment is often called Armenian bole in art. The shade is warmer and redder than many modern browns.
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- Bole is made from a fine, iron-rich clay
- Used as a base for gold leaf in paintings and frames
- Also known as terra rosa since 1753
- First recorded as a colour name in English in 1386
What colour is Bole?
Bole is a reddish-brown colour, with a warm, earthy tone. It stands out from other browns by leaning more towards red, giving it a distinct look compared to cooler or more neutral browns. In art, the pigment is valued for its ability to add warmth, especially when used beneath gold leaf, where it can influence the final appearance of the gold.
Where does Bole come from?
The name 'bole' comes from the Latin word for earth or dirt, reflecting its origin as a natural clay. The pigment has been used for centuries, and its use as a colour name in English dates back to 1386. In the art world, the reddish version is often called Armenian bole, after the region known for this type of clay.
How is Bole made?
Bole pigment is made from a soft, fine clay that contains iron oxide, which gives it its reddish-brown colour. The clay is cleaned and ground into a powder before being used as a pigment or as a preparatory layer in paintings and gilded frames. This mineral source makes it a natural pigment.
Where Bole is used
Artists have long used bole as a base layer under gold leaf in paintings and on frames. This underlayer helps gold leaf adhere and gives the finished surface a warmer, richer look. Bole is also used as a pigment in paints and sometimes in architectural decoration.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: B貌g貌lanfiniShades and relatives of Bole
Terra rosa is another name for bole and has been used since the 18th century. In painting, bole is sometimes compared to Venetian red, but it is described as having a pinker or more salmon-like quality. The term Armenian bole refers to the particularly red variety used in art.
Colours that go with Bole
Harmonies are worked out from the value #79443B. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Bole
What colour is bole?
Bole is a warm reddish-brown, more red than most browns, and is often used in art for its earthy tone.
Where does the name bole come from?
The name comes from the Latin word for earth or dirt, reflecting its origin as a natural clay pigment.
What is bole used for in art?
Bole is used as a pigment and as a base layer under gold leaf in panel paintings and frames, giving the gold a warmer look.
What is Armenian bole?
Armenian bole refers to a particularly red variety of this clay pigment, often used in art for its colour.
Is bole the same as terra rosa?
Yes, terra rosa is another name for bole, used since the mid-18th century to describe this warm red pigment.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Bole (color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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