<P> Vermilion pigment, made from cinnabar . This was the pigment used in the murals of Pompeii and to color Chinese lacquerware beginning in the Song dynasty . </P> <Li> <P> Despite its yellow greenish flower, the roots of the Rubia tinctorum, or madder plant, produced the most common red dye used from ancient times until the 19th century . </P> </Li> <P> Despite its yellow greenish flower, the roots of the Rubia tinctorum, or madder plant, produced the most common red dye used from ancient times until the 19th century . </P> <Li> <P> Red lead, also known as minium, has been used since the time of the ancient Greeks . Chemically it is known as lead tetroxide . The Romans prepared it by the roasting of lead white pigment . It was commonly used in the Middle Ages for the headings and decoration of illuminated manuscripts . </P> </Li>

Where does the term seeing red come from