..I have seen to have survived many centuries and hold their power, on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted a lavish Indian painting exhibit and I managed to catch the last day and take notes, photography was not allowed.
The ultimate geek list of pigments used in Indian Painting:
White pigments: 1. Lead White ( basic Lead carbonate ) 2. Zinc White ( zinc oxide ) 3. Chalk ( calcium carbonate )
Red/Orange: 4. Cinnabar ( Mercury sulfide ) 5. Vermillion ( Synthetic Mercuric Sulfide ) 6. Lac ( primary colorant Laccaic Acid ) 7. Red Lead ( Lead tetroxide/orange red ) 8. Realgar ( Arsenic disulfide/bright orange red mineral ) 9. Saffron ( Crocetin and Crocin )
Yellow: 10. Opriment ( Arsenic trisulfide/soft yellow ) 11. Indian Yellow ( Magnesium euxanthate/ originally from the urine of cows fed mango leaves ) 12. Gamboge ( yellowish orange )
Green: 13. Verdigris ( Basic Copper Acetate/dark bluish green pigment ) 14. Malachite ( Basic Copper Carbonate ) Mixtures to make green - Indigo and Indian yellow
Blue/Violet: 15. Ultramarine ( Natural Ultramarine is the ground, separated blue particles - lazurite - from the gemstone Lapis Lazuli ) 16. Azurite ( basic Copper Carbonate/frequently found adjacent to Malachite ) 17. Indigo ( Indigotin )
Earth Pigments: 18. Iron Oxides
Black/Gold/Silver/Tin: 19. Carbon 20. Gold Ink ( Gold particles with gum ), similar with Silver and Tin ink
21. Beetle wings ( to represent Emeralds )
Inks: 22. Carbon inks ( Lamb black ) 23. Metallo-gallic ink 24. Indian ink ( naturally ) 25. Willow Charcoal 26. Lamp Black ( soot from fat, oil, tar ) 27. Ivory Black
Gums: 28. Ghatti gum 29. Suresh 30. Gum arabic