alizarin crimson

Ingredients

alizarin, purpurin, madder, metal mordants, protein-based binder

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The red inks were identified as organic dyes belonging to the anthraquinone family, specifically alizarin and purpurin (p. 11). These were likely derived from the madder plant (p. 11). FTIR data suggests the presence of lake pigments formed with metal mordants and a binder that is likely protein-based, indicated by amide I and II bands (p. 11). Some samples also showed evidence of inorganic red lake pigments which might be iron- or manganese-based, possibly bound with gum Arabic or other carbohydrate-based materials (p. 11).

Evidence

"Raman spectra of the red ink (Figure 4) in objects SEM EM 23 134 and SEM EM 24 145 show bands of use of organic dyes such as alizarin crimson [68] as a plant-driven anthraquinone dye, perhaps madder [68], at strong band at 1480 cm-1 associated with stretching C=C"

Remarks

Red ink was frequently used in Islamic manuscripts to mark important titles, for rubrication, or to highlight sacred names (p. 6, 11). The study notes that red organic dyes have been used in Islamic manuscripts since the 9th century (p. 11). The fluorescence emission in the 550-650 nm range is typical for alizarin/purpurin bound to metal ions (p. 11).