ivory black

Ingredients

vegetable coal, bones, ivory, calcium phosphate, gum arabic, olivine

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Bone or ivory black was obtained by burning bones or ivory and is made of calcium phosphate. It was typically mixed with gum arabic (p. 97). Olivine (iron and magnesium silicate) is also listed as a component of black colours used (p. 99).

Evidence

"In general, for the main body of the texts black ink was used, either obtained from traditional black pigments, such as smoke black (vegetable coal) or bone or ivory black (obtained by burning bones or ivory and made of calcium phosphate) mixed with gum arabic"

Remarks

Small quantities of earth could have been added to render the inks thicker and yield better coverage (p. 97). Carbon-based inks were identified in the main body of the texts (p. 105).