ورق الذهب

Ingredients

ورق الذهب, خل خمر جيد, ماء, الصمغ

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Place gold leaf in a mortar and pour high-quality wine vinegar over it. Grind the gold leaf in the vinegar for three continuous days. After grinding, wash the gold thoroughly but gently with water until it is clean. The resulting gold powder is then mixed with gum (as implied in the following section) and used for writing (p. 130).

Evidence

"تأخذ ورق الذهب فتجعله في صلاية وتصب عليه خل خمر جيد ، وتسحقه ثلاثة أيام ، ثم تغسله غسلاً رفيقاً بالماء وتكتب به ."

Remarks

The text specifies that if the gold is intended for writing on paper or parchment, it should be kept in a place protected from direct sunlight, dust, and wind to prevent it from dissolving or degrading (p. 131). The use of vinegar helps in the mechanical breakdown of the gold leaf into fine particles suitable for suspension.