How To: Medieval Ink


	How To: Medieval Ink

knslyr

10-1-2007 4:07 PM

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tags:

crafts, ink, medieval ink

knslyr says:

The first certain reference to iron-gall ink is in Martianus Minneus Felix Capella’s book De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii et de septem Artibus liberalibus libri novem (On the Wedding of Philology and Mercury and of the Seven Liberal Arts in nine books; 420 AD), which mentions a mixture of galls and gum. Although other recipes have been preserved, all agree on the basic ingredients: galls, ferrous sulphate (copperas), water and gum arabic.

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10-1-2007 6:14 PM

bignosemousie

Hee. Does anyone remember the movie Private Eyes? Ink is made out of buzzard pus.

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<P class="mainTitle">Materials and method</p> <UL class="mainNormalText">
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Galls, 3 parts by weight</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Water, 30 parts by weight</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Ferrous sulphate, 2 parts by weight</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Gum arabic,1 part by weight</LI>
</UL>
<TABLE width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" border="0"><TBODY><TR><TD width="175" valign="top" align="left"><IMG width="273" height="239" border="0" alt="Figure 4: Crushed acorn gall" src="http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/images/issue6galls4.jpg" /></TD><TD valign="top" align="left"><IMG width="273" height="237" border="0" alt="Figure 5: Filtering the water and crushed gall mixture" src="http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/images/issue6galls5.jpg" /></TD></TR><TR><TD valign="top" align="left"><SPAN class="imgCaption"><STRONG>Figure 4: Crushed acorn gall</STRONG><BR />               Image courtesy of Gianluca Farusi</SPAN></TD><TD valign="top" align="left"><SPAN class="imgCaption"><STRONG>Figure 5: Filtering the water and crushed gall mixture</STRONG><BR />               Image courtesy of Gianluca Farusi</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD valign="top" align="left"><IMG width="273" height="235" border="0" alt="Figure 6: The three inks" src="http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/images/issue6galls6.jpg" /></TD><TD valign="top" align="left"><IMG width="273" height="234" border="0" alt="Figure 7: The results!" src="http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/images/issue6galls7.jpg" /></TD></TR><TR><TD valign="top" align="left"><SPAN class="imgCaption"><STRONG>Figure 6: The three inks</STRONG><BR /> Image courtesy of Gianluca Farusi</SPAN></TD><TD valign="top" align="left"><SPAN class="imgCaption"><STRONG>Figure 7: The results!</STRONG><BR /> Image courtesy of Gianluca Farusi</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><OL class="mainNormalText">
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Break the galls into pieces, then grind them in a coffee mill (Figure 4).</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">In a beaker, add the water to the ground galls. Leave the mixture to ferment in a sunny corner at room temperature for 3 days.</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Filter the mixture (Figure 5) and add the ferrous sulphate to the solution. Stir well and leave for 3 days.</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Add the gum arabic, stir the mixture and you have your ink (Figure 6). Time to start writing (Figure 7)!	    </LI>
</OL>
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