paper colouring
Egypt
14th Century
Source: Ebeid, H. (2024). Mediaeval Islamic Inkmaking Recipes: Provenance, Dating, and Authorship in a Rare Egyptian Manuscript. Luxor International Journal of Archaeological Studies, 7(2), 497-511.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
Kurkum (turmeric), Balīḥah (weld), natron salt (al-aṭrūn)
Preparation Steps
The author explains eleven recipes from fourteen plant and mineral sources for paper colouring. One specific method utilizes 'natron salt' (al-aṭrūn) to obtain a lemon-yellow colour from Balīḥah (weld). (p. 10)
Original Recipe Text
The author explains eleven recipes from fourteen plant and mineral sources for paper colouring. One specific method utilizes 'natron salt' (al-aṭrūn) to obtain a lemon-yellow colour from Balīḥah (weld). (p. 10)
Evidence
"The speciality of this chapter lies not only in its thematic focus, but also in the meticulous quantification of the weights of the materials used in the production of paper dyes... Some of these recipes have been empirically tested in the laboratory."
Remarks
Chapter five of the manuscript is uniquely devoted to paper colouring and polishing, reflecting a high level of calligraphic sophistication. The mention of natron salt from Wadi al-Natrun is a key indicator of the text's Egyptian origin. (p. 10-11).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Empirical testing in the laboratory
Textual analysis
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
paper
Paper Typepaper colouring
ColorYellow
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year1350
Source Information
AuthorEbeid, H.
CollectionNational Library of Egypt (14 Sin’nat Taymour Arabic)
Language
N/A
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