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sienna (n.)
brownish-ochre color, by 1760 (terra-sienna), from Italian terra di Sienna "earth of Siena," region in Italy where the coloring material first was produced from a type of earth mined there. It is used as a pigment in both oil and watercolor painting. See Siena.
Burnt sienna is the raw material roasted in a furnace before powdering. By this means the color is changed to a warm reddish brown similar to old mahogany. It is, like raw sienna, translucent in body. [Century Dictionary]
updated on October 05, 2022
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