copper-based green pigment
Iraq
15th Century
Source: Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya, Amélie Couvrat Desvergnes, and David J. Roxburgh, "Sayyid Yusuf’s 1433 Pilgrimage Scroll (Ziyārātnāma)," Muqarnas 33 (2016): 363-407.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
copper, lead, vinegar, copper plates
Preparation Steps
Verdigris, the most common basic copper acetate, results from the action of vinegar on copper plates (p. 371). Analysis also revealed a small quantity of lead from an unknown secondary material.
Original Recipe Text
Verdigris, the most common basic copper acetate, results from the action of vinegar on copper plates (p. 371). Analysis also revealed a small quantity of lead from an unknown secondary material.
Evidence
"Over time, the copper-based green pigment has corroded under humid conditions and has taken on an unfortunate brown tone. The process of corrosion degrades cellulose materials and causes cracks and extended areas of loss (fig. 24)."
Remarks
The verdigris was vibrant, economical, and easy to manufacture compared to malachite. However, it is highly corrosive; the pigment has eaten away the paper support in humid conditions, turning brown and causing structural failure (p. 368). Most parts of the green Kufic inscriptions have disappeared due to this degradation (p. 368).
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionCopper, lead
Analytical Techniques
digital microscope
XRF
X-ray fluorescence spectrometry
transmitted light
Certainty Level
Probable
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
ColorGreen
RegionIraq
Approx. Year1450
Source Information
AuthorMounia Chekhab-Abudaya, Amélie Couvrat Desvergnes, and David J. Roxburgh, "Sayyid Yusuf’s 1433 Pilgrimage Scroll
Collectionmosque lamps and Kufic inscriptions
Language
N/A
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