نسخة حبر نقلت من خط ابن البواب

Ingredients

آس أخضر ويابس, عفص أزرق, زاج قبرصي, صمغ عربي, سنبل الطيب, نيل هندي, صبر سقطري, زنجار حك, سكر نبات, زعفران شعري, ملح أندراني

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Soak the green and dry myrtle in three pounds of water for three days. Boil until the water is reduced by one-third. Strain it, then add the blue galls and boil. Add the vitriol and continue boiling until reduced by another third. Strain again and add the Arabic gum. Once dissolved, filter it through a fine cloth. Finally, add the remaining crushed ingredients (spikenard, indigo, aloe, verdigris, sugar, saffron, and salt) and stir by hand. The recipe claims the result is of extremely high quality (p. 157).

Evidence

"نسخة حبر نقلت من خط ابن البواب خذ على بركة الله تعالى وعونه، آس أخضر ويابس ۱۸۰ درهم، عفص أزرق ۱۲۰، زاج قبرصي ٦٠، صمغ عربي ۱۸۰، سنبل الطيب ٥ ، نيل هندي ٦ ، صبر سقطري (سقطري) ٣، زنجار حك ٥، سكر نبات ٥ ، زعفران شعري ۱ ، ملح أندراني ٥"

Remarks

This recipe was found in a single-page manuscript written in Najdi script, attributed to the famous calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab (p. 157). The combination of iron-gall components (gall and vitriol) with colorants like indigo and saffron, and additives like sugar and aloe, suggests a complex, high-luster professional ink.