An impure black carbon pigment prepared from burnt animal bones. Bone black, or animal black, contains about 10% carbon along with 84% calcium phosphate with smaller amounts of magnesium phosphate and calcium carbonate. The blue-black pigment is denser than carbon black and has a good working quality for oil paints and watercolours. A fine particle grade of bone black is now sold as ivory black and an inferior grade has been sold under the name of Paris black. Drop black is dried lumps formed after bone black is mixed with water and glue. Drop black was commonly used in the 19th century for house paints. Bone black is listed among the pigments used for colouring stucco marble in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Synonyms: animal black; ivory black; drop black; Frankfort black; German black; Pigment Black 9; CI 77267; Paris black; abaiser. Wittenburg (1999); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2000). [J. Cassar, R. de Angelis]