orpiment

Ingredients

orpiment, W’RŠ’, litharge (gilded), gold leaves (24 count), salt, water, broken gum, saffron water, liquid alum, pork rind

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Mix 2 parts orpiment, 1 part W’RŠ’, and 1 part gilded litharge. Grind with water. Separately take 24 leaves of gold, add a portion of the previous mixture, and grind in a mortar with salt. Wash with water repeatedly until only pure gold remains. Re-add the rest of the mineral mixture, broken gum, and saffron water. Grind until it reaches ink consistency (dyuto). The reed pen should be soaked in liquid alum before writing. After drying, the letters are polished with pork rind (p. 99).

Evidence

"Take 24 leaves (of gold?) and add a quarter of the mixture. Grind together in a clean mortar by adding a bit of salt. When it is well ground, add water until only pure gold remains. Then add what is left of the mixture and a bit of broken gum, by pouring a bit of water of saffron over it."

Remarks

The use of 24 gold leaves indicates a significant precious metal content. The polishing step with pork rind is a specific Syriac variation, whereas the parallel Latin Mappae Clavicula recipe 38 suggests using a tooth (p. 100).