dark ink, Motavvas (peacock) ink

Ingredients

soot, Arabic gum, indigo, verdigris, candy, saffron, aloe

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The 'Motavvas' (peacock) ink is described in historical texts as a compound ink. According to the footnote on page 11, quoting historical instructions, the recipe includes 'soot, Arabic gum, indigo, verdigris, candy, saffron and aloe'. The presence of copper detected in the sample (12.98 %W) is attributed to the inclusion of verdigris (p. 9, 11). The text also notes that lead and vanadium may have been added, potentially through the use of bitumen or mineral pitch (p. 9).

Evidence

"Regarding the dark ink, the result is not certain due to the presence of too many elements, however, according to the presence of copper, Motavvas (peacock) ink is suggested."

Remarks

The black ink has suffered from fading and color shift, appearing brown over time (p. 5). SEM-EDX analysis (Table 2, p. 9) revealed a complex mixture of elements: Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg: 4.55%), Antimony (Sb: 9.44%), Copper (Cu: 12.98%), Iron (Fe: 4.96%), Manganese (Mn: 5.07%), Vanadium (V: 3.57%), Chlorine (Cl: 28.85%), Sulfur (S: 9.38%), and Phosphorus (P: 2.84%). The high chlorine levels are attributed to surface salt deposits (p. 9).