Caput mortuum (pigment)
Caput mortuum (Latin for 'dead head', and variously spelled caput mortum or caput mortem), also known as cardinal purple, is the name given to a purple variety of hematite iron oxide pigment, used in oil paints and paper dyes. Due to the cultural significance of its deep purple colour, it was popular for painting the robes of religious figures and important personages (e.g.