atacamite

Iran
9th Century
Source: Holakooei, P., de Lapérouse, J.F., Rugiadi, M. & Carò, F. (2018). Early Islamic pigments at Nishapur, north-eastern Iran: studies on the painted fragments preserved at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 10:175–195.
Recipe Details

Ingredients

copper filings, vinegar, sal ammoniac, ammonium chloride

Preparation Steps

Medieval Persian treatises describe the production of atacamite by soaking copper filings in vinegar and adding sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) in a closed jar (p. 192).

Original Recipe Text

Medieval Persian treatises describe the production of atacamite by soaking copper filings in vinegar and adding sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) in a closed jar (p. 192).

Evidence

"This suggested that green atacamite (Cu2Cl(OH)3), or other copper trihydroxychlorides, was used as a green pigment."

Remarks

SEM observations revealed colonies of microbial deposits (coccus, filamentous, and spirochete bacteria) within the green paint layer, similar to bacterial growth on copper-based alloys corroded in seawater. This suggests the pigment might have been imported from a littoral zone or derived from already-corroded copper objects (p. 192).

Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionCu2Cl(OH)3
Analytical Techniques
Raman
XRF
XRD
scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
Binderslaked lime
ColorGreen
RegionIran
Approx. Year850
Source Information
AuthorHolakooei, P., de Lapérouse, J.F., Rugiadi, M. & Carò, F.
CollectionQanat Tepe
Language
N/A
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    atacamite (9th Century) | Islamic Ink Atlas