carbon or vegetable tannin (for example, vitex)

Ingredients

carbon, vegetable tannin, vitex

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Locally manufactured. The ink was designed to be non-permanent on wooden surfaces so that it could be washed off. It was made from carbon or vegetable tannins like vitex (p. 155).

Evidence

"Inks made from carbon or vegetable tannin (for example, vitex) were used on wooden ‘slates’, while ferro-tannic inks were used on paper. The carbon and vegetable inks did not stain the wooden writing boards, and could be safely drunk as medicine."

Remarks

This ink was specifically used on wooden writing boards (allo) used by students. A significant cultural practice involved washing the ink off these boards to create 'rubutu', a tonic medicine that people would drink because it contained the 'sacred words' written in the ink (p. 151). The author emphasizes its safety for consumption and the fact that it did not permanently stain the wooden boards (p. 155).