safflower

Ingredients

safflower, alum of the dyers, sour pomegranate juice or good wine vinegar, red Arabic gum, water, vinegar

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Dry one rotl of safflower in the sun, then pound it finely and grind it in a mortar. Place it in a cloth resembling a strainer and hang it, pouring fresh water over it until its water drips clear. Place it in a wool cloth and squeeze out all water. Spread on a tray and mix with four dirhams of alum of the dyers, then rub between the hands. Return to the cloth and press firmly. Drip fresh water onto it little by little until half a qafiz or less is extracted. Add one ounce of sour pomegranate juice or good wine vinegar and clarify the water until only its essence remains. Leave until it reaches the consistency of honey. Take one-third of an ounce of red Arabic gum, then spread it on a marble slab. When dry, lift until needed. Dissolve with water and a little vinegar when use is desired.

Evidence

"take one rotl of safflower $^{(5)}$, dry it in the sun, then pound it finely and grind it in a mortar. Place it in a cloth resembling a strainer and hang it, pouring fresh water over it until its water drips clear and unchanged. Then it is placed in a wool cloth...Then, take one-third of an ounce of red Arabic gum $^{(1)}$, then spread it on a marble slab. When it dries, it is lifted until needed. If its use is desired, it is dissolved with water and a little vinegar, and it is written with; it comes out like gold."

Remarks

This recipe describes a process to create a gold-like pigment from safflower. The safflower extract is treated with alum and pomegranate juice or vinegar, then mixed with red Arabic gum to create a writing material that appears golden. A variant process is given for use on silver or tin.