carbon (soot) inks (midād)

Ingredients

soot (sukhām, dukhān), rice (zurr), olive (zaytūn), chick-peas (ḥimmiṣ), seeds of radish (fujl), flax (kattān), walnut ( jawz), hazelnut (bunduq), sesame oil (shīraj), petroleum (naft), gum arabic (samgḥ), honey (ʿasal), water, camphor (kāfūr), musk (misk), aloe (ṣabir)

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The soot was obtained through the combustion of various substances including rice, olive, chick-peas, radish or flax seeds, walnut, hazelnut, sesame oil, and petroleum. This soot was traditionally suspended in a solution of gum arabic, honey, and water (p. 133). Inks were sometimes perfumed (tatyīḅ) using camphor and musk. Scribes would dry the freshly written text using sand or sawdust, sometimes mixed with gold or silver dust (p. 134).

Evidence

"The main ingredient of carbon ink was soot (sukhām, dukhān), which was obtained by the combustion of a variety of vegetal substances such as rice (zurr), olive (zaytūn), chick-peas (ḥimmiṣ), seeds of radish ( fujl ) or flax (kattān), walnut ( jawz), hazelnut (bunduq), sesame oil (shīraj) and even petroleum (naft)."

Remarks

Carbon inks rarely fade and are usually indelible. However, they do not change their support (parchment or paper) but rather detach themselves from it or peel off (p. 134). They were not recommended for writing on parchment because they could be easily washed off (p. 133).