kāghad

Ingredients

flax, quicklime, sweet water, straw

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The best flax is purified from its reed. It is moistened and combed until it softens. Then it is soaked in quicklime for a night until morning. It is then rubbed with the hands and spread out in the sun until all of it dries in the daylight. It is then returned to water of quicklime, not the first water... cut it with the scissors little by little. It is then immersed in sweet water for seven days... pounded in the mortar very finely while it is moist... dissolved until it reaches a silky viscosity. Then it is introduced into the moulds in the desired size. These are made from the straw used for baskets, nails, and the walls are collapsible. (p. 22)

Evidence

"The Arabic term for paper, kāghad, came from the Persian, and is believed to be of Chinese derivation. The city of Samarqand in Central Asia played an important rôle in paper production."

Remarks

The paper was dried, and sized. In order to produce a smooth and glossy surface, the sized sheet was burnished with one of a number of implements upon a flat surface. These varied from region to region and included pestle tools and oval glasses. (p. 22)