Vitriolic iron-gall ink

Ingredients

vitriol, gall nuts, metallic iron, binder

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The ink is prepared using vitriol, which is a mixture of hydrated iron and other metallic sulphates (p. 109). The XRF spectra on folio 41r of Rome, BAV, Reg. Lat. 469 shows emission K-lines for potassium (K), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and significant peaks for copper (Cu) at 8.05 keV and 8.90 keV (p. 109). Some recipes may have also added pieces of metal (p. 112).

Evidence

"The presence of copper in the spectrum of the ink indicates the use of vitriol, a mixture of hydrated iron and other metallic sulphates, as a metal source for iron."

Remarks

Vitriolic iron-gall ink is often found in mixture with non-vitriolic iron-gall inks within the same codicological unit in regions such as Fulda, Salzburg, and Reichenau (p. 110). Only one manuscript (Rome, BAV, Pal. Lat. 209) from Auxerre was found to be copied exclusively with vitriolic inks (p. 110).