Mummy brown
A transparent brown pigment once made from ground Egyptian mummies
Mummy brown is a warm, transparent brown pigment that sits between burnt umber and raw umber. It was once made from the flesh of Egyptian and Canary Islands mummies mixed with pitch and myrrh, and became popular with European artists in the 18th and 19th centuries before supplies and demand faded.
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- Once made from ground Egyptian and Canary Islands mummies
- Favoured by Pre-Raphaelite artists in the 1800s
- Known for its transparency and warm brown tone
- Production ended by the mid-20th century
- Modern versions use minerals, not mummies
What colour is Mummy brown?
Mummy brown is a transparent, warm brown pigment, visually placed between burnt umber and raw umber. It was known for its rich, earthy tone and was often used in glazes, shadows, and flesh tones in painting. Its unique source—ground-up mummified remains—set it apart from other browns, both in composition and reputation. The colour could vary, but it was valued for its ability to create depth and warmth in artworks.
Where does Mummy brown come from?
The name 'mummy brown' comes from its original source: the flesh of Egyptian mummies, and sometimes mummies from the Canary Islands. The pigment was first clearly recorded in the early 18th century, though references to its use go back as far as the 12th century. It became popular with European artists from the mid-1700s, especially in Britain and France. As supplies of ancient mummies dwindled and the ethics of its use were questioned, the pigment fell out of favour and was discontinued by the mid-20th century.
How is Mummy brown made?
Traditional mummy brown was made by grinding up the flesh of human or animal mummies, then mixing it with white pitch and myrrh to form a pigment. The resulting powder was used in oil and watercolour paints. The composition was inconsistent, sometimes containing fat and ammonia, which affected its stability. Modern versions labelled 'mummy brown' are made from minerals like kaolin, quartz, goethite, and haematite, but the original material is no longer produced.
Where Mummy brown is used
Mummy brown was most often used by Western European artists in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially for glazing and shading in oil painting. It was a favourite among the Pre-Raphaelites and used by artists such as Eugène Delacroix and Edward Burne-Jones. Its transparency made it suitable for subtle effects in flesh tones and shadows. However, concerns about its permanence and the dwindling supply led to its decline.
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: BògòlanfiniShades and relatives of Mummy brown
The colour of mummy brown could range from yellowish to reddish to dark violet, depending on its composition. The darkest forms were sometimes called 'mummy violet.' It is closely related to other earth browns like burnt umber and raw umber, but its original source and variable makeup made it distinct. Modern 'mummy brown' pigments are mineral-based and do not contain any mummy material.
Colours that go with Mummy brown
Harmonies are worked out from the value #824B27. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Mummy brown
What colour is mummy brown?
Mummy brown is a transparent, warm brown that sits between burnt umber and raw umber in tint. It was used for glazes, shadows, and flesh tones in painting.
Where does the name 'mummy brown' come from?
The name comes from its original source: the pigment was made by grinding up the flesh of Egyptian and Canary Islands mummies, mixed with pitch and myrrh.
How was mummy brown made?
Traditional mummy brown was made from ground-up mummified flesh, white pitch, and myrrh. The mixture was processed into a powder for use in paints.
Why did artists stop using mummy brown?
Supplies of mummies ran out, and artists became dissatisfied with the pigment's permanence and finish. By the mid-20th century, it was no longer produced.
Are modern mummy brown paints made from real mummies?
No, modern paints labelled 'mummy brown' are made from minerals like kaolin and haematite, not from mummified remains.
Good reading and sources
- Mummy brown on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Mummy brown", 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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