gold

Africa
9th Century
Source: Olsen, R. B. (2024). Beyond Words: Calligraphy from the World of Islam. Orientations, 55(4), 2-9.
Recipe Details

Ingredients

gold, liquid glue

Preparation Steps

In these lavish Kufic manuscripts, calligraphers employed a two-stage application process for the text. Each letter was first drawn using liquid glue as a mordant. Subsequently, a thin layer of gold (likely gold leaf) was applied over the adhesive to create a permanent metallic script (p. 6).

Original Recipe Text

In these lavish Kufic manuscripts, calligraphers employed a two-stage application process for the text. Each letter was first drawn using liquid glue as a mordant. Subsequently, a thin layer of gold (likely gold leaf) was applied over the adhesive to create a permanent metallic script (p. 6).

Evidence

"each letter has been drawn up in liquid glue and subsequently covered with a thin layer of gold."

Remarks

This technique was a form of extravagance used to project wealth and power by rulers. The resulting text is visually linked to public inscriptions of the Umayyad Caliphate (p. 6).

Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionAu
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
Binderliquid glue
ColorGold
RegionAfrica
Approx. Year850
Source Information
AuthorOlsen, R. B.
CollectionUnknown
Language
N/A
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