invisible inks
Egypt
10th Century
Source: Zaki, Mahmoud. "Early Arabic Bookmaking Techniques as Described by al-Rāzī in His Recently Rediscovered Zīnat al-Katabah." Journal of Islamic Manuscripts 2 (2011): 223-234.
Recipe Details
Preparation Steps
The treatise includes eleven invisible ink recipes. These involve specialized chemical 'tricks' (ḥiyal) to make text reappear or disappear. One specific type mentioned reappears only at night, while another is designed to vanish gradually over time (p. 228).
Original Recipe Text
The treatise includes eleven invisible ink recipes. These involve specialized chemical 'tricks' (ḥiyal) to make text reappear or disappear. One specific type mentioned reappears only at night, while another is designed to vanish gradually over time (p. 228).
Evidence
"Other recipes are for invisible inks which can be made to reveal their message using certain techniques. While one such ink reappears only at night, another disappears gradually; there are many interesting tricks."
Remarks
The inclusion of eleven invisible ink recipes highlights the sophisticated chemical knowledge of al-Rāzī, a physician and chemist (p. 225). These inks were categorized as 'tricks of the scribes' (Ḥiyal al-Kuttāb) in other bibliographical sources (p. 226).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Codicological analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
Colorinvisible
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year950
Source Information
AuthorZaki, Mahmoud. "Early Arabic Bookmaking Techniques as Described by al-Rāzī in His Recently Rediscovered Zīnat al-Katabah." Journal of Islamic Manuscripts 2
CollectionMajāmī Tal'at 331, Dār al-Kutub
Language
N/A
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