shiny ink, black or black/brown ink, red ink (al-murakkab al-ahmar)
Various
Source: Gacek, A. (2009). The Arabic Manuscript: A Vademecum for Readers.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
vitriol, gall nuts, gum arabic, saffron
Preparation Steps
Ink components mentioned through metaphors in scribal literature include vitriol (for blackness), gall nuts (as the tannin source), and gum arabic (as the binder). Saffron is also mentioned in comparison to ink (p. 236, 240). Rubrication was originally red but could also include blue and green as early as the Umayyad period (p. 228).
Original Recipe Text
Ink components mentioned through metaphors in scribal literature include vitriol (for blackness), gall nuts (as the tannin source), and gum arabic (as the binder). Saffron is also mentioned in comparison to ink (p. 236, 240). Rubrication was originally red but could also include blue and green as early as the Umayyad period (p. 228).
Evidence
"my livelihood is narrower than an inkwell, my body more slender than a ruler... my face darker than vitriol... my food comes from gall nuts, and bad luck clings to me like gum arabic. ... saffron is the perfume of young maidens, whereas ink is the perfume of men"
Remarks
Ink stains were described as a 'mark of manliness' and ink itself as the 'perfume of men' (p. 236). The scribe's physical condition was metaphorically compared to his tools and ingredients: a face as dark as vitriol and food made of gall nuts (p. 240).
Scientific Analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
ColorGreen
RegionVarious
Source Information
AuthorGacek, A.
CollectionKitab khass al-khass by al-Tha'alibi
Language
N/A
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