gold; dark blue ground; red cross-hatched ground; white scrollwork

Ingredients

gold, red pigment, blue pigment, white pigment

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Illumination is utilized in dedicatory frontispieces and headpieces. The gold is applied as gold thuluth for titles (p. 188). In the 1349 manuscript, the colophon is written in gold on a ground of red cross-hatching, and gold titles and rosettes occur throughout (p. 188).

Evidence

"The head and tailpieces of the dedications contain the manuscript’s title, written in gold thuluth, on a background of white scrollwork on a dark blue ground. [...] The central panel contains the dedicatory inscriptions which are written in gold thuluth on a red cross-hatched ground."

Remarks

The use of red cross-hatching and gold inscriptions on scrollwork are reminiscent of techniques used in the 1314-15 Qaramanid Qur'an and Mamluk/Ilkhanid ateliers (p. 188). The 1351 manuscript is noted as being more modest, lacking several decorative elements present in the 1349 copy (p. 188).