vermilion (HgS)
Egypt
15th Century
Source: Gawish, M., El Hadidi, N. M. N., Elnaggar, A., & Ebeid, H. (2023). A Mamluk Copy of Fawaed El Mawaad: Investigation and Analytical Approach. Advanced Research in Conservation Science, 4(1), 54-70.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
vermilion, mercury, sulfur
Preparation Steps
The red ink is composed of light red HgS vermilion, which is noted as one of the earliest synthetic pigments used in Islam since the 1st AH century (p. 65). XRF data reveals Hg (0.24%), S (1.83%), and traces of Fe (0.24%), P (0.24%), and Sc (0.20%) (p. 65).
Original Recipe Text
The red ink is composed of light red HgS vermilion, which is noted as one of the earliest synthetic pigments used in Islam since the 1st AH century (p. 65). XRF data reveals Hg (0.24%), S (1.83%), and traces of Fe (0.24%), P (0.24%), and Sc (0.20%) (p. 65).
Evidence
"The obtained Raman spectrum of the red pigment in the book under study shows three characteristic bands in the region between 253 and 344 cm-1"
Remarks
The pigment shows significant UV absorption, which the authors use to confirm its identity as vermilion rather than other red organics (p. 65). Under IRF technical photography, the red ink shows 'total fading', unlike the black mixed ink which remains dark (p. 68, Table 1).
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionHgS
Analytical Techniques
Raman
XRF
Infrared Fluorescence (IRF)
Ultraviolet Fluorescence (UVF)
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
ColorRed
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year1450
Source Information
AuthorGawish, M., El Hadidi, N. M. N., Elnaggar, A., & Ebeid, H.
CollectionFustat
Language
N/A
AI Suggestions
Find similar recipes based on ingredients and preparation methods.