thin, fine paper

Ingredients

rag, linen fibers, starch, quicklime

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Persian papers were often manufactured from rag or linen fibers, with some references to silk (p. 138). An 11th-century description mentions a quicklime process for softening raw fibers (p. 138). The paper was thoroughly burnished on both sides with a crystal egg, polished agate, or other polished stone after being sized with wheat or rice starch, egg white, or gelatin (p. 137, 139).

Evidence

"The majority of paintings in this study were on thin, fine paper."

Remarks

In the Herat painting (M.73.5.412), the paper is described as thin and fine (p. 138). The mold used in manufacturing left laid lines but not chain lines because horsehair thread was used for stitching, which does not leave impressions (p. 138). The paper was prepared to be smooth and somewhat impermeable to prevent the bleeding of aqueous pigments (p. 139).