charcoal

Ingredients

charcoal

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

In traditional Qur’anic schools (madrasas) in Timbuktu and West Africa, students use a medium described as 'ink or charcoal' (p. 20). This colorant is applied to wooden boards for practicing calligraphy. The specific recipe allows the characters to be 'easily washed off' to provide a 'fresh surface for additional exercises' (p. 20), suggesting a water-soluble binder or a lack of permanent sizing on the boards.

Evidence

"Throughout West Africa, Qur’anic schools associated with mosques educate children and youth in Muslim philosophy and the art of calligraphy. Characters written in ink or charcoal are easily washed off the wooden boards, providing a fresh surface for additional exercises."

Remarks

The text distinguishes between the highly permanent ink used in the 'ancient' manuscripts (which are fragile but have survived centuries) and the temporary ink/charcoal used for educational purposes (p. 6, 20). The art of calligraphy is a core component of the education provided in schools associated with mosques (p. 20). Calligraphy and manuscript production formed a 'scribal culture' in Timbuktu where writers, copyists, and collectors collaborated (p. 11).