Gamboge
A strong yellow pigment tapped from Southeast Asian trees
Gamboge is a rich yellow pigment that comes from the resin of certain Southeast Asian trees, especially in Cambodia and Thailand. Its name is linked to Cambodia, and it has been used in painting, book printing, and dyeing Buddhist robes since at least the 8th century, though it is toxic and fades in light.
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- Gamboge is tapped from trees in Cambodia and Thailand.
- It was used in Buddhist monks’ robes and East Asian painting.
- The pigment is toxic and can be deadly in large amounts.
- Gamboge fades in sunlight and reacts with lime and white lead.
- Its name comes from an old term for Cambodia.
What colour is Gamboge?
Gamboge is a yellow pigment with a strong, deep tone, made from the resin of trees in Southeast Asia. When freshly collected, the resin is brownish-yellow, but after grinding, it reveals a vivid yellow. It stands out for its clarity and strength among yellow pigments, but is known to fade when exposed to light.
Where does Gamboge come from?
The word 'gamboge' comes from an old European name for Cambodia, where the pigment was first sourced. Its use in art dates back to at least the 8th century, first appearing in Japanese works. The pigment became more widely available in Europe in the 1600s as trade routes expanded. It was sometimes called 'pipe gamboge' because it was shaped by the bamboo tubes used to collect it.
How is Gamboge made?
To produce gamboge, resin is collected from certain evergreen trees in the Garcinia genus. Cuts are made in the bark, and the yellowish latex drips out, often into hollow bamboo canes. Once the resin hardens, the bamboo is removed, leaving solid rods of pigment. The resin is then ground to make paint or dye.
Where Gamboge is used
Gamboge has been valued in East Asian watercolour painting, printing, and as a dye for Buddhist monks’ robes. It was also used in book illustration and sometimes mixed with other pigments to create green or orange. Its use has declined due to its toxicity and tendency to fade, but it remains notable in the history of art materials.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
People wear yellow for Vasant Panchami, the spring festival of the goddess Saraswati. Before many weddings, turmeric paste is rubbed on the bride and groom in the haldi ceremony.
Sacred and holyFestival and celebrationWeddings and marriageJoySource: Vasant PanchamiEach day of the week has a colour, and Monday's is yellow. King Bhumibol and King Vajiralongkorn were both born on a Monday, so yellow is worn to honour the monarchy.
Royalty and powerLuck and prosperityPrideSource: Colors of the day in ThailandThe yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersShades and relatives of Gamboge
Gamboge is sometimes confused with other organic yellow pigments. Artists often mixed it with Prussian blue to make green or with burnt sienna for orange. Its colour can range from brownish-yellow in resin form to a strong, clear yellow when processed.
Colours that go with Gamboge
Harmonies are worked out from the value #E49B0F. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Gamboge
What colour is gamboge?
Gamboge is a deep, strong yellow, sometimes described as orange-yellow. It is made from the resin of certain Southeast Asian trees.
Where does the name gamboge come from?
The name comes from 'Camboja', an old European name for Cambodia, where the pigment was first collected.
How is gamboge made?
Resin is collected from Garcinia trees by making cuts in the bark. The latex is caught in bamboo canes, allowed to harden, and then ground for use as pigment or dye.
Why is gamboge no longer widely used in paints?
Gamboge is toxic to humans and fades when exposed to light, making it less suitable for modern painting.
What was gamboge used for?
It was used in watercolour painting, book printing, and dyeing garments such as Buddhist monks’ robes.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Gamboge", 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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