ōdo 黄土

Yellow ochre pigment. Lit. "yellow earth." Made from earth containing hydrated ferric oxide (goethite FeO.OH or limonite Fe2O3.H2O) often mixed with quartz or clay minerals. The color can vary from a light yellow to brown depending on the quantity of hydrated ferric oxide. A cheaply available, durable, strong colorant, ōdo is commonly found in ancient decorated tombs such as the Ōzuka Kofun 王塚古墳 in Fukuoka Prefecture (probably late 6th century), and murals like those in Hōryūji *Kondō 法隆寺金堂. It is still used today as a mineral pigment for Japanese painting *nihonga 日本画 (see *iwa-enogu 岩絵具). Ōdo can be heated to give a red pigment called *bengara 弁柄.