carbon and mineral inks

Ingredients

carbon soot, gum arabic, perfumed oils

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Ink recipes blended carbon soot with gum arabic and, at times, perfumed oils. The ink was applied using a reed pen (qalam) meticulously prepared with precise bevels to regulate ink flow (p. 24). Different nib angles were reserved for specific scripts such as Naskh, Nasta'līq, or Shikasta (p. 24).

Evidence

"Ink recipes blended carbon soot with gum arabic and, at times, perfumed oils; mineral-based pigments like lapis lazuli and powdered gold were reserved for headings, illuminations, and interlinear ornament."

Remarks

The mixture was controlled to ensure brilliance without flaking, demanding mastery in chemistry as much as penmanship. In Kashmir and Punjab workshops, artisans emphasized delicate ink contrasts alongside floral infills (p. 24, 25).