sapanwood

Ingredients

sapanwood, water, copper pot, wild qali, alum

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

One ounce of sapanwood powder (either 'little' or 'princely' type) is immersed in water for a day and a night. The mixture is placed in a clean copper pot with ten ratls of water and powdered wild qali (alkali). It is boiled until the water volume is reduced by half (p. 43). Success is tested by dripping the solution onto the thumb; if it remains without dripping, the process is complete. After cooling, the dye is used on paper or leather. For leather, the material is first treated with wool dipped in alum, which must be moistened immediately before dyeing (p. 44).

Evidence

"Description of dyeing leather and paper. The red in dyeing is of many types. In one, the best possible sapanwood is taken. There are two types; one is the 'little' and the other is the 'princely.' An ounce is taken of the powder. It is immersed in water a night or a day. It is then put into a copper pot, a clean utensil. On it is poured ten ratls of water and the best powdered, sieved wild qali."

Remarks

The recipe highlights the use of a mordant (alum) and an alkaline agent (qali) to develop and fix the red color from the sapanwood. The author notes that if the alum is too 'salty' it is poor, but if it is 'sharp' it must be corrected with water (p. 44).