Plant ink

Egypt
Source: Cohen, Z. (2022). Writing Materials. In: Cohen, Z. (Ed.), Inks and Inkmaking in the Cairo Genizah. Brill.
Recipe Details

Ingredients

Gallnuts, gum arabic, wine of Tabas

Preparation Steps

Recipe for black plant ink found in manuscript T-S Ar.40.64 written in Arabic on paper. The primary components are gallnuts and gum arabic, with the liquid medium specified as wine of Tabas (p. 49). Identification of elements for these recipes was made by Wissem Gueddich (p. 49).

Original Recipe Text

Recipe for black plant ink found in manuscript T-S Ar.40.64 written in Arabic on paper. The primary components are gallnuts and gum arabic, with the liquid medium specified as wine of Tabas (p. 49). Identification of elements for these recipes was made by Wissem Gueddich (p. 49).

Evidence

"T-S Ar.40.64 ... Plant ink ... Gallnuts, gum arabic, wine of Tabas"

Remarks

This is one of five recipes for black inks found in the Genizah so far. Unlike iron-gall inks, this plant ink formulation contains no metallic salts like vitriol in the recorded ingredients (Table 2.2).

Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
near-infrared (NIR) reflectography
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
BinderAcacia gum
Paper TypePaper
ColorBlack
RegionEgypt
Source Information
AuthorCohen, Z.
CollectionCairo Genizah
Language
N/A
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