black ones, red notations

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

In Harar, the development of a local script fused bihari with elements of muhaqqaq and naskh (p. 33). By the mid-eighteenth century, sura titles were penned in red without frames, and marginal notations were made using both red and black inks to denote different paratextual information (p. 33, 35).

Evidence

"The red notations are found in every manuscript with glosses; the black ones are found in less. While the textual content is identical, the placement of the paratexts on the page... reveal Harar had developed a local format for the mushaf."

Remarks

The author notes a shift from individualistic naskh scripts in 1708 to a more standardized, colorful calligraphy by 1767. The stress in Harari manuscripts of this period is placed on the 'colourful calligraphy rather than the ornamental forms' (p. 34).