Vermilion, Red lead, Hematite, Orpiment

Ingredients

mercury, sulfur, orpiment, metallic lead, iron oxide

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Two 10th-11th century recipes (Razi's Ketab al-Asrar and Biruni's al-Saydaneh) describe artificial vermilion manufacture by mixing equal parts mercury and sulfur in a sealed glass jar with a narrow neck and heating in a special kiln (p. 189). Yellow orpiment was often present as an impurity or intentional additive in the manufactured vermilion (p. 189). Red lead was traditionally made in Persia by heating metallic lead sheets in air to transform them into various oxides (litharge, massicot, and red lead) (p. 190).

Evidence

"The red pigments which were highly correlated to Hg and S (the paints with a negative value of PC1) are most certainly vermilion (HgS) (p. 178/179)."

Remarks

The presence of orpiment in the vermilion at Nishapur is indicative of artificial manufacture (p. 175). Pink paints were identified as discoloration products of vermilion (p. 179). Hematite has a long history of use in Iran from the Neolithic to medieval times (p. 190).