Islamic paper; quasi-Islamic paper

Ingredients

henna, madder, lac, safflower, turmeric, weld

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Islamic paper was traditionally dyed by dipping ready-made sheets into a dye bath rather than adding dyes to the pulp (p. 1). Sizing and polishing with Islamic techniques (e.g., using starch) are characteristic finishes (p. 1). Quasi-Islamic paper is defined by its European substrate combined with these Islamic finishing techniques (p. 1).

Evidence

"Islamic paper, manufactured in the Islamic cultural realm from the western borders of China to Islamic Spain from the eighth century AD to the seventeenth century AD or perhaps later [1], was produced in a range of natural colours from grey to cream to dark cream, depending on the raw materials and manufacturing process"

Remarks

Historical primary sources from the tenth to seventeenth centuries (Arabic treatises) specify the materials and techniques for dyeing paper to achieve various hues (p. 3). Aesthetic, symbolic, and preservation purposes drove the use of these colorants (p. 1).