invisible inks
Egypt
10th Century
Source: Mahmoud Zaki, "Early Arabic Bookmaking Techniques as Described by al-Rāzī in His Recently Rediscovered Zīnat al-Katabah," Journal of Islamic Manuscripts 2 (2011) 223-234.
Recipe Details
Preparation Steps
The text contains eleven distinct recipes for invisible inks, which can be made to reveal messages through specific techniques (p. 228). Some are designed to reappear only at night, while others are engineered to disappear gradually over time (p. 228).
Original Recipe Text
The text contains eleven distinct recipes for invisible inks, which can be made to reveal messages through specific techniques (p. 228). Some are designed to reappear only at night, while others are engineered to disappear gradually over time (p. 228).
Evidence
"Other recipes are for invisible inks which can be made to reveal their message using certain techniques. While one such ink reappears only at night, another disappears gradually."
Remarks
These recipes constitute approximately thirty percent of the treatise's ink-related content (p. 228). Al-Rāzī's work is notable for its inclusion of these technical 'tricks' (hiyal), a term also found in al-Bīrūnī’s bio-bibliography referencing this work (p. 226).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
textual analysis
visual examination
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year950
Source Information
AuthorMahmoud Zaki, "Early Arabic Bookmaking Techniques as Described by al-Rāzī in His Recently Rediscovered Zīnat al-Katabah," Journal of Islamic Manuscripts 2
CollectionDār al-Kutub in Cairo, Majāmīʿ Taḷ ʿat 331
Language
N/A
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