cochineal

Ingredients

cochineal, alum, soapwort

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Group 7 utilized a red ink (ink 16) based on a 1938 historical recipe by Nefeszade, consisting of cochineal, alum, and soapwort (p. 63).

Evidence

"One red ink (ink 16) prepared according to the historical recipe (Nefeszade, 1938) composed of cochineal, alum and soapwort which belongs to Caryophyllaceae plant family was analyzed."

Remarks

The ink belongs to the carminic acid group, as evidenced by an absorption maximum at 500 nm (p. 63, 64). The color change after ageing in sample 16 was described as almost negligible compared to iron-gall inks (p. 49). The addition of alum and soapwort did not alter the visible region absorption peaks (p. 64).