orpiment and indigo
Egypt
16th Century
Source: Colini, Claudia (2021). Ink Making by the Book: Learning a Craft in the Arabic World. In: Traces of Ink. Experiences of Philology and Replication. De Gruyter.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
orpiment, indigo
Preparation Steps
A recipe for a 'green liqa' mentioning these specific ingredients (orpiment and indigo) was found on the verso of fol. 17' in manuscript Pm II 30 (p. 108). The liqa refers to an ink-soaked wool or silk wad kept in an inkwell.
Original Recipe Text
A recipe for a 'green liqa' mentioning these specific ingredients (orpiment and indigo) was found on the verso of fol. 17' in manuscript Pm II 30 (p. 108). The liqa refers to an ink-soaked wool or silk wad kept in an inkwell.
Evidence
"Material analyses of the colour have identified orpiment and indigo as the main components of the more visible stain left on fol. 17' and a recipe of a green liqa mentioning the ingredients detected has been found on its verso"
Remarks
The pigment was identified within greenish fingerprints found in the margins of the folios. This suggests practical usage of the recipes where the user was likely searching for specific passages or preparing the ink while handling the manuscript (p. 108-109). The fingerprinting evidence directly links the theoretical text of the recipe with the physical practice of the user.
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionAs2S3 + C16H10N2O2
Analytical Techniques
Raman
XRF
Visible Spectroscopy
Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS)
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
ColorGreen
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year1550
Source Information
AuthorColini, Claudia
CollectionLbg 637 / Pm II 30
Language
N/A
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