الزئبق والكبريت الاحمر
Middleeast
17th Century
Source: Jabir ibn Hayyan, Kitāb al-Khawāṣṣ al-Kabīr, Manuscript Copy (Naskh Script), Ottoman/Safavid Period.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
الزئبق الاحمر, الكبريت الاحمر
Preparation Steps
The recipe describes taking red mercury and red sulfur, grinding them finely (p. 7). The mixture is placed in a mud-sealed flask (قارورة مطينة) to prevent the escape of vapors. This flask is then placed in a kiln or oven (تنور) for a duration of one night. After cooling, the resulting substance is described as a 'precious essence' (جوهر نفيس) used as an elixir or pigment (p. 7).
Original Recipe Text
The recipe describes taking red mercury and red sulfur, grinding them finely (p. 7). The mixture is placed in a mud-sealed flask (قارورة مطينة) to prevent the escape of vapors. This flask is then placed in a kiln or oven (تنور) for a duration of one night. After cooling, the resulting substance is described as a 'precious essence' (جوهر نفيس) used as an elixir or pigment (p. 7).
Evidence
"يوجد من الزئبق والكبريت الاحمر جوهر نفيس... يجعل في قارورة مطينة ويوضع في التنور ليلة واحدة ثم يخرج"
Remarks
The text explicitly links the combination of mercury and sulfur to the creation of stable red colorants. This process is a foundational alchemical procedure for the production of synthetic cinnabar, widely used in Islamic manuscript illumination (p. 7). The manuscript also notes various grades of sulfur and their reactivity with different 'spirits' and metals (p. 1).
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionHgS
Analytical Techniques
السحق
التصعيد
التكليس
Certainty Level
Probable
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
Binderطين الحكمة
Colorالاحمر
RegionMiddleeast
Approx. Year1650
Source Information
AuthorJabir ibn Hayyan, Kitāb al-Khawāṣṣ al-Kabīr, Manuscript Copy
CollectionAlchemy treatise recipes
Language
N/A
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