brown ink

Ingredients

natural organic compound, iron

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The ink was used for text on folios from a 1224 Iraqi manuscript. It is characterized by its transparency in infrared imaging (p. 22). While XRF analysis detected slightly more iron in the inked areas, the levels were insufficient to confirm an iron-gall formulation (p. 22). The lack of characteristic haloing or cellulose degradation further differentiates it from typical iron-gall inks (p. 22).

Evidence

"a brown ink was employed for the text on all the folios examined from a manuscript produced in Iraq in 1224 (Table 1, #1–4). This ink was transparent in infrared and lacked distinctive elements, suggesting used of a natural organic compound."

Remarks

Historical Persian recipes for ink manufacture generally include multi-component mixtures, often containing soot and/or iron gall (p. 23). This specific sample represents an unusual use of a brown organic ink for primary text (p. 22).