gallnut, vitriol

Ingredients

gallnut, vitriol, gum arabic

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The treatise contains seven recipes for common black ink. A sample recipe found on folio 79b (p. 230) states: "Take thirty gallnuts, crush them, and pour over them three pounds of clear water, and cook it over a gentle fire until half of it evaporates, then filter it and add good vitriol of five dirhams weight, and gum arabic of ten dirhams weight, and place it in the sun for a day, then write." (صفة حبر يكتب به في الدفاتر : تأخذ ثلاثين عفصة فترضها، وتصب عليه ثلاثة أرطال ماء صافيا، وتطبخه بنار لينة حتى يذهب النصف، ثم يصفى ويطرح فيه زاج جيد وزن خمسة دراهم، وصمغ عربي وزن عشرة دراهم، ويوضع في الشمس يوما ثم يكتب)

Evidence

"The materials which are commonly used in ink-making are gallnut, vitriol and gum arabic."

Remarks

Al-Rāzī provides specialized recipes for inks that can be used immediately after preparation, as well as those suited for travelers or long-term storage (p. 228). The writing tools most often mentioned in conjunction with these inks are the pen, the inkwell, and the līqah (a wool pad used to absorb ink) (p. 228). The treatise is considered one of the oldest known works on Arabic bookmaking, predating the 'Umdat al-kuttāb (p. 223-225).