iron gall ink, iron gallotannate ink
17th Century
Source: Nawal Mash'al, Rajabi Abdul Razak, Harlina Md. Sharif. (2023). A REVIEW ON METHODS OF ANALYSIS OF THE PIGMENTS AND INKS IN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT. Journal of Architecture, Planning & Construction Management, 13(1), 77-89.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
oak apples-galls, gall wasp larvae, ferrous salt, gallotannins, tannic acid, gallic acid
Preparation Steps
The bases of ink preparation are oak apples-galls, which are created by the growth factors of gall wasp larvae. Galls are high in gallotannins (tannic acid with its monomer gallic acid). When these tannins react with ferrous salt, they produce a dark violet or black complex used for writing. Along with the passage of time, this ink would progressively deepen to a purple-black (p. 79).
Original Recipe Text
The bases of ink preparation are oak apples-galls, which are created by the growth factors of gall wasp larvae. Galls are high in gallotannins (tannic acid with its monomer gallic acid). When these tannins react with ferrous salt, they produce a dark violet or black complex used for writing. Along with the passage of time, this ink would progressively deepen to a purple-black (p. 79).
Evidence
"Iron gall ink was popular from the 17th to the 19th century because it was available and used for documentation purposes. Iron gall inks are at the boundary between pigment-based ink and dye-based ink."
Remarks
Iron gall ink gradually darkens due to atmospheric oxygen oxidation of iron ions from the ferrous to the ferric state (p. 80). It was widely used in official documents because it was hard to erase from paper once applied (p. 79).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
XRF
FTIR
Certainty Level
Probable
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
ColorPurple
Approx. Year1650
Source Information
AuthorNawal Mash'al, Rajabi Abdul Razak, Harlina Md. Sharif.
CollectionUnknown
Language
N/A
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