gold and silver

Ingredients

white fish glue, sweet water, saffron

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Take glue of the white fish, cut it small, and soak in water for a day until tender. Knead until soft, then melt in a vat with sweet water over a low fire. Add saffron to adjust the color, filter through clean cloth, and use as a vehicle for writing with gold or silver (p. 241). For stamping gold leaf, the gold is formed into thin leaves, glue is applied, and after two days, it is polished with a stone and black stibium (p. 241).

Evidence

"take glue of the white fish, which disintegrates quickly, cut it as small as possible, and put it in water for a day until it is soaked and grows tender. When it is soaked, you gather it and knead it gently until it becomes soft. Then collect it and put it into a vat, pour sweet water over it and put it on a low fire until it melts."

Remarks

Fish glue was preferred for its quick disintegration and softness. Other binders mentioned for writing with gold include snails' glue, asphodelus paste, honey, molasses, mastic, and various sugars (p. 241).