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Gamboge ( ) Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (1989) is a deep-yellow pigment derived from a species of tree that primarily grows in Cambodia. Popular in watercolor works, it has been used across a number of media dating back to the 8th century. Easy to transport and manipulate into a durable watercolor paint, gamboge is notable for its versatility as a pigment in how it has been used in paintings, printing of books, and garment dyes, including the robes of Buddhist monks. Gamboge is toxic to humans, and is potentially deadly in large doses. Due to its toxicity and poor lightfastness, gamboge is no longer used in paints, though limited use continues in other contexts. Though used in a number of different contexts, gamboge does not react well with lime surfaces, making it unsuitable for frescos and with white lead. Despite its popularity, gamboge has not been extensively identified in works of art from any time period. The few instances where art historians have attempted to identify whether or not the pigment was used in a given work have confirmed its widespread use and its longevity as staple in watercolor painting particularly in eastern art.
The pigment is derived from the gum of a species of evergreen of the family Guttiferae which grows in southeast Asia, primarily Cambodia and Thailand. In fact, gamboge gets its name from a now-antiquated name for Cambodia, Camboja, though it was also referred to as gama gitta in some 17th century European color manuals. The pigment is extracted from Guttiferae trees through a process of cutting several deep incisions into the tree's trunk thus allowing the resin to bleed out into pre-mounted bamboo canes used as receptacle to initially catch and later transport the product. The practice of collecting gamboge in bamboo cane was so widespread and recognizable that the pigment was often referred to as "pipe gamboge" for how it conformed to the cylindrical shape of the receptacle.
There was a brief shortage of the pigment during the 1970s and 1980s due to trade restrictions placed on the Khmer Rouge regime. During this time, shipments of the gum which makes gamboge were found to contain bullet casings and other impurities which tainted the pigment.
While gamboge is best known for its use in artwork, it does have a secondary function as a laxative. In small doses it can cause watery feces while large doses have been reported to cause death.
The trees must be at least ten years old before they are tapped. The resin is extracted by making spiral incisions in the bark, and by breaking off leaves and shoots and letting the milky yellow resinous gum drip out. The resulting latex is collected in hollow bamboo canes. After the resin is congealed, the bamboo is broken away and large rods of raw gamboge remain.
Gamboge was most commonly used in watercolor painting.
Gamboge has been identified as the underlying gold paint in the Maitepnimit Temple in Thailand as well as having featured in the Medieval Armenian Glajor Gospel. Though not authenticated, it has also been noted that Rembrandt may have used the pigment in a few of his works and that it appears in J. M. W. Turners color box.
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