lampblack / starchy ink

Ingredients

lampblack, wheat starch, gallnut water, alum

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Traditionally black ink is obtained from the lampblack after a lengthy procedure (p. 26). According to another recipe, starchy ink was prepared by baking wheat starch into a copper pot. When starch turned into black, it was mixed with gallnut water and alum and then was boiled to prepare finally (p. 26, citing Rahman 1979).

Evidence

"Traditionally black ink is obtained from the lampblack after a lengthy procedure. According to another recipe, starchy ink was prepared by baking wheat starch into a copper pot."

Remarks

In Islamic calligraphy, usually the ink (or the text) is simply black without any tonal difference (p. 28). The ink is kept in a dawat (inkpot), made of glass, porcelain or metal. Some undressed silk fibers or a piece of rag or soft sponge, sufficiently large to absorb nearly all ink, should be placed in the inkpot to prevent clots and damage to the qalam (p. 26).