red ink

Africa
19th Century
Source: Ogorodnikova, Daria. 'Soninke Ajami manuscripts'. (Chapter 4, 2016).
Recipe Details

Preparation Steps

Red ink was used extensively for functional and structural purposes in the manuscripts (p. 85). It was specifically employed for writing chronograms (e.g., 'zāy-yāʾ-rāʾ-shīn') to encode dates (p. 80), and to distinguish the primary text from marginal or interlinear commentaries (p. 85). Red ink also served for vocalic diacritics and highlighting specific words within the main body of text (p. 86).

Original Recipe Text

Red ink was used extensively for functional and structural purposes in the manuscripts (p. 85). It was specifically employed for writing chronograms (e.g., 'zāy-yāʾ-rāʾ-shīn') to encode dates (p. 80), and to distinguish the primary text from marginal or interlinear commentaries (p. 85). Red ink also served for vocalic diacritics and highlighting specific words within the main body of text (p. 86).

Evidence

"The scribes used large letters or red ink for the main text and small letters or brown ink for the commentary to distinguish the two."

Remarks

The use of red ink was part of a well-planned scribal process where the layout was designed to accommodate different layers of information. In some cases, the ink was part of the 'násí' production, where written charms were washed off surfaces to create medicinal water (p. 88).

Scientific Analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
ColorRed
RegionAfrica
Approx. Year1850
Source Information
AuthorOgorodnikova, Daria. 'Soninke Ajami manuscripts'.
CollectionTouba (present-day Guinea), Badibu (The Gambia), and Senegal
Language
N/A
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