watermarked with the Royal coat of arms and a date 1818

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The paper is identified as an imported European product, characterized by the inclusion of a 'Royal coat of arms' watermark and a specific production date of '1818' embedded within the paper pulp during manufacture (p. 146). This type of material was common in West African clerical networks during the 19th century.

Evidence

"The paper is watermarked with the Royal coat of arms and a date 1818, implying that the manuscript might have been written before al-Ḥājj Sālim’s death."

Remarks

The author utilizes the material evidence of the paper watermark to establish the chronological contemporaneity between the manuscript's production and the lifespan of the scholars mentioned in the marginalia, specifically al-Hajj Salim (p. 146). The presence of the watermark date (1818) suggests the manuscript unit BL MS Or. 6473 was likely produced in the early to mid-19th century (p. 146).