المِداد الفارِسِيِّ

Ingredients

المِداد الفارِسِيِّ, الصَّمْغ العَرَبيِّ, عَفْصاً مسحوقاً, رَمادَ القِرْطاسِ المُحَرَّقِ, ببياض البَيضِ, ماءِ السَّلْقِ

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Take 5 dirhams of Persian soot (midad), 1 dirham of Arabic gum, half a dirham of powdered gallnuts, and 2 dirhams of burnt paper ash (p. 142). Grind these ingredients together and sift them finely. Combine the mixture using egg white (p. 142). Form the resulting paste into small pellets and leave them to dry in the shade. When ready to use, soak the pellets in beet/chard water (ma' al-silq) until they dissolve and ferment; this liquid is then used to fill the inkwell, providing a superior and purer ink (p. 142).

Evidence

"وخُذْ من المِداد الفارِسِيِّ خَمْسة دراهيمَ، ومن الصَّمْغ العَرَبيِّ دِرْهَماً، وعَفْصاً مسحوقاً نِصْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، ورَمادَ القِرْطاسِ المُحَرَّقِ دِرْهَمَيْن، ثُمَّ تَسْحَقُها وتُغَرْبِلُها، وتَجْمَعُها ببياض البَيضِ، ثُمَّ بَنْدِقْها واجعلها في الظِّلَّ... وإذا نَقَعْتَهُ في ماءِ السَّلْقِ حتَّى يَنْحَلَّ ويَذُوبَ ويَخْتَمِرَ، ثُمَّ أَمْدَدْتَ من مائِهِ دواتَكَ، كان أجود وأَنْقَى."

Remarks

The text emphasizes the importance of using a pure inkwell filler (liqa) made of hair or wool to prevent impurities from clogging the pen tip and ruining the calligraphy (p. 142). The use of burnt paper ash as a carbon source alongside Persian soot is a specific regional technique. The fermentation in beet water is intended to improve flow and clarity (p. 142).