iron gall ink

Ingredients

bark, vinegar, iron filings

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The recipe from al-Qalalūsī involves bark and iron filings with the addition of vinegar (p. 149). General procedure for this typology involves soaking tannins (bark or gall nuts) in water and boiling with iron pieces (filings or rusty nails), sometimes with an acid source like vinegar (p. 147).

Evidence

"In fact, the two reproduced recipes made with the addition of acid (from contemporary Kenya and al-Qalalūsī’s treatise, Fig. 7.5 A and 7.5 B respectively) have a darker colour after ageing than the one made without."

Remarks

The author notes that this ink typology was known and used from at least the middle of the 13th century and remains in use in Sub-Saharan Africa. The use of iron filings instead of vitriol results in a more stable preparation over time as no sulphuric acid is present (p. 147-148).