indigo

Ingredients

vegetal dye, indigo

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The makers of the Blue Qur'an chose a vegetal dye, indigo, which was a luxury commodity (p. 96). It was used to dye the parchment leaves to produce a relatively stable dark blue hue, with slight variations of intensity (p. 95). The choice of indigo over the glandular secretion of the murex (sea snail) was likely influenced by its availability in the heart of the Islamic empire (coast of Tyre) and its perceived cost-effectiveness compared to imperial purple, although it remained an expensive raw material (p. 96).

Evidence

"The widespread assumption of an indigo dye appears to have been confirmed by recent tests carried out by Professor Nacer Ayed (INSAT, Tunis); but despite repeated attempts, it has not been possible to obtain any information about these tests by the time of bringing this research to a close, in October 2009."

Remarks

The use of indigo created a fundamentally strong contrast against the brightness of gold script (p. 95). Note 13 (p. 113) states that the crystalline nature of the colour reinforces the likelihood of indigo, as ultramarine and lazurite are insoluble inorganic minerals that cannot be used as dyes. The author notes that the Blue Qur'an reflects ʿAbbāsid patronage of the highest rank, likely caliphal (p. 104).