gall nuts
Tunisia
9th Century
Source: Colini, C. (2021). “I tried it and it is really good”: Replicating Recipes of Arabic Black Inks. In Arabic Manuscripts – Ink Recipes – Scientific Analysis (pp. 131–146). Brill.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
good gall nuts, good gum, water
Preparation Steps
It takes two and a half dirham of good gall nuts and the same amount of good gum. They are pulverized in a mortar. Twenty-five dirham of water are poured on it and it is rubbed until it is good and pure (p. 134).
Original Recipe Text
It takes two and a half dirham of good gall nuts and the same amount of good gum. They are pulverized in a mortar. Twenty-five dirham of water are poured on it and it is rubbed until it is good and pure (p. 134).
Evidence
"When I replicated this recipe, the colour of the ink was pale yellow and the writing on the paper almost invisible. According to Schopen, a similar recipe (that he does not translate) was used to write on parchment under the Zirid rule in Qayrawān (Tunisia)."
Remarks
The author notes that the solubilisation of tannins into water is not immediate. In historical context, these were referred to as 'instant ink' (ḥibr min sāʿatihī) or 'shadow ink' (ḥibr ẓillī) (p. 135). The replication on paper was nearly invisible, while on parchment it produced a light yellow-brown colour (p. 135).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
replication
visual inspection
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
Bindergood gum
Paper TypeParchment
ColorYellow
RegionTunisia
Approx. Year850
Source Information
AuthorColini, C.
CollectionQayrawān (Tunisia)
Language
N/A
AI Suggestions
Find similar recipes based on ingredients and preparation methods.