metallic salt (copper sulphate)

Ingredients

myrrh, truffle, copper sulphate, oak gall, gum

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

1 drachma of myrrh, 4 darachmae of truffle, 2 drachmae of copper sulphate, 2 drachmae of oak gall, 3 drachmae of gum (p. 59, note 10).

Evidence

"P.Leid. V... contains the complete recipe of a metallogallic ink (made of metallic salt, oak gall, and gum) with the addition of two additives (myrrh and truffle) [Greek text in: Karl Preisendanz, Papyri Graecae Magicae... XII, p. 83]: ζμύρνης δραχμὴ αʹ, μίσυος δραχμαὶ δʹ, χαλκάνθου δραχμαὶ βʹ, κηκίδων δραχμαὶ βʹ, κόμεως δραχμαὶ γʹ (‘1 drachma of myrrh, 4 darachmae of truffle, 2 drachmae of copper sulphate, 2 drachmae of oak gall, 3 drachmae of gum’)."

Remarks

This recipe represents early evidence (3rd century) of metallic salts mixed with tannin (oak galls). Metallogallic ink became more aggressive on papyrus compared to carbon black but adhered better to parchment (p. 59).