الزنجفرية
Egypt
14th Century
Source: Muhammad bin Abi al-Khair al-Hasani (known as Al-Araj), Zahr al-Basatin fi 'Ilm al-Mashatin.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
زنجفرة, ملح الأعمال, الزيت الطيب, اللبان العربي, شمع
Preparation Steps
A glass bottle called 'Zunjufrriya' is used. It contains 'milh al-a'mal' (salt of the works). The process involves heating it over a fire without a hair's breadth of breakage in the glass (p. 74). It involves oil (zayt al-tayyib), frankincense (luban), and wax. The goal is to produce a flame that looks like a tongue of fire (p. 74).
Original Recipe Text
A glass bottle called 'Zunjufrriya' is used. It contains 'milh al-a'mal' (salt of the works). The process involves heating it over a fire without a hair's breadth of breakage in the glass (p. 74). It involves oil (zayt al-tayyib), frankincense (luban), and wax. The goal is to produce a flame that looks like a tongue of fire (p. 74).
Evidence
"وهذه القنينة تسمى بالزنجفرية (١) ، و[هي] من ملح الأعمال"
Remarks
Footnote (7) on p. 74 confirms that 'Zunjufr' is Cinnabar (cinnabar), which is mercury sulfide (HgS). This recipe highlights the use of cinnabar in pyrotechnic or illumination-based automata.
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionHgS
Analytical Techniques
Documentary analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
Binderشمع
Colorأحمر
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year1350
Source Information
AuthorMuhammad bin Abi al-Khair al-Hasani
CollectionUnknown
Language
N/A
AI Suggestions
Find similar recipes based on ingredients and preparation methods.