This is an accepted version of this page Bistre (or bister) is a pigment made from soot.

Historically, beechwood was burned to produce the soot, which was boiled and diluted with water.

[1] Bistre's appearance is generally of a dark grayish brown, with a yellowish cast.

Bistre has also been used to name colors resembling the pigment, typically shades of brown.

[1] Among other colors, bistre is the name of a very dark shade of grayish brown (the version shown on the immediate right).