golden yellow arsenic / orpiment (زرنيخ اصفر ذهبي)
Iraq
13th Century
Source: Lucia Raggetti, "Ordinary Inks and Incredible Tricks in al-ʿIrāqī’s ʿUyūn al-ḥaqāʾiq," in Alchemy in the Making, 2021, pp. 154-200.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
golden yellow arsenic (orpiment), water, dissolved gum arabic
Preparation Steps
The orpiment is pulverized and sifted, then ground with water on an impermeable stone slab (p. 167). Dissolved gum arabic is added until the desired consistency is reached. It can be used for writing or for paints (p. 167).
Original Recipe Text
The orpiment is pulverized and sifted, then ground with water on an impermeable stone slab (p. 167). Dissolved gum arabic is added until the desired consistency is reached. It can be used for writing or for paints (p. 167).
Evidence
"Take some golden yellow arsenic (orpiment), pulverize it, sift it, and grind it with water on an impermeable stone slab until it does not absorb any more water. (p. 167)"
Remarks
Orpiment is also used as a component in Green ink when mixed with indigo (p. 168), Rosy ink when mixed with sericon (p. 171), and Turquoise ink when mixed with verdigris and white lead (p. 172).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Philological analysis
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
pigment
ColorYellow
RegionIraq
Approx. Year1250
Source Information
AuthorLucia Raggetti, "Ordinary Inks and Incredible Tricks in al-ʿIrāqī’s ʿUyūn al-ḥaqāʾiq," in Alchemy in the Making, 2021, pp. 154-200.
CollectionUnknown
Language
N/A
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