Samarqand paper

Ingredients

flax, hemp, linen rags, cordage, starch paste

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The manufacture of paper in the Islamic world involved using flax and hemp fibers, specifically macerated linen rags and cordage (p. 10). The fibers were beaten into a pulp, suspended in water, and caught onto a screen (p. 3). The Islamic world adopted the Chinese flexible mold design—a screen made of split bamboo or grass tied together by silk or string—pressed to a wooden frame (p. 5). This allowed sheets to be piled and the mold reused immediately. Wet sheets were pressed to remove water and then pasted on wooden boards or plastered walls to dry (p. 6). Finally, the paper was cured by polishing and sizing with starch paste to allow smooth movement of the reed pen (p. 12).

Evidence

"He organized first papermaking production in his city and Chinese papermakers-prisoners taught local craftsman the new craft."

Remarks

Paper production in Islamic society was socially marginalized as an 'unclean' craft because it was associated with manual labor and the rot required to process rags (p. 11-12). It was primarily used for manuscript production and administrative purposes (p. 12). By the 13th century, quality in the western Islamic lands declined, with paper becoming thicker, softer, and more impure (p. 9).