Methods of Creating, Testing and Identifying Traditional Black Persian Inks
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Sadra Zekrgoo
Sadra Zekrgoo received his M.A. in Conservation of Fine Arts, specializing in paper conservation from Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. He has been trained in the field of paper conservation at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, National Archives of Malaysia, and the British Library. He presented a paper based on his findings on Persian ink and ink-making of medieval period at the 8th Islamic Manuscript Conference, held in Cambridge University 2012. He currently works as a private paper conservator in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Historical and Philosophical Sciences, University of Melbourne. His field of interest includes the reconstruction of traditional inks, and different analysis methods used in identifying them.
Abstract
There has been a great amount of historical research and scientific analysis done on the two main black inks, i.e. carbon ink and iron gall ink. However, Persian master calligraphers have passed down a great amount of information and recipes on making not only the mentioned inks, but other types as well. These recipes are found in the treatises and manuscripts of master calligraphers such as Abdullah Sayrafi (16th C), Sultan Ali Mashhadi (d. 1519), Baba Shah Isfahani (16th C) and Mir Ali Heravi (d. 1544) to name but a few. This paper focuses on such recipes that were categorized, translated and recreated by the author by using traditional ingredients and following the guidelines of master calligraphers. The newly created inks were studied and the characteristics and methods of identifying them were recorded using tests and analysis techniques such as abrasion endurance, water solubility, cross-section-analysis (for identifying the penetration levels of inks within paper), scanning electron microscopy, and finally, false colour infrared photography, which gave the most distinguishable identification method.
Zusammenfassung
Überblick über Methoden zu Herstellung und Identifikation traditioneller schwarzer persischer Tinten
Tusche und Eisengallustinte wurden bereits in zahlreichen Studien untersucht und analysiert. Persische Kalligraphie-Meister gaben eine große Vielzahl an Rezepturen für Tinten bzw. Tuschen weiter, die nicht eindeutig einer dieser beiden Kategorien zugeordnet werden können. Diese Rezepturen finden sich in den Abhandlungen von Meisterkalligraphen wie etwa Abdullah Sayrafi (13.–14. Jhdt.), Sultan Ali Mashhadi (1519 C), Baba Shah Isfahani (1534 C) oder Mir Ali Heravi (1544–45C), um nur einige wenige zu nennen. In diesem Beitrag werden ausgewählte Rezepturen kategorisiert, übersetzt und vom Autor selbst nachvollzogen, indem traditionelle Zutaten nach Anweisung der Meisterkalligraphen verarbeitet wurden. Diese selbst angesetzten Tinten bzw. Tuschen wurden untersucht und ihre Eigenschaften dokumentiert. Es wurden dabei ihre Beständigkeit gegenüber Abrieb, Wasserlöslichkeit und ihr Eindringverhalten in Papier (mittels Herstellung von Querschliffen und Rasterelektronenmikroskopie SEM-EDX) gemessen; als einfachste Methode zur Unterscheidung der unterschiedlichen Tinten und Tuschen erwies sich die Infrarot-Falschfarbenfotografie.
Résumé
Méthodes de production et d’identification des encres noires persanes traditionnelles: présentation historique et scientifique
Un grand nombre de recherches historiques et d’analyses scientifiques ont été effectuées sur les deux principales encres noires, à savoir l’encre au carbone et l’encre ferro-gallique. Cependant, les maîtres calligraphes persans ont transmis un grand nombre d’informations et de recettes concernant la production de nombreux types d’encres, autres que les deux précédemment mentionnées. Ces recettes figurent notamment dans les traités et manuscrits de maîtres calligraphes comme Abdullah Sayrafi (XIIIe-XIVe s.), Sultan Ali Mashhadi (mort en 1519), Baba Shah Isfahani (1534), Mir Ali Herawi (mort en 1544/1545) pour n’en citer que quelques-uns. Cet article présente ces recettes qui ont été classées, traduites et réalisées par l’auteur en utilisant des ingrédients traditionnels, dans le respect des indications des maîtres calligraphes. Les encres ainsi reproduites ont été analysées; leurs caractéristiques et les méthodes permettant leur identification ont été enregistrées. Les critères d’analyse comprenaient notamment la résistance à l’abrasion et la solubilité dans l’eau; les méthodes d’identification utilisées comprenaient l’analyse de coupe transversale (afin d’identifier le degré de pénétration des encres dans le papier), la microscopie électronique à balayage, et enfin la photographie infrarouge de fausse couleur (FCIR), méthode qui s’est révélée être la plus efficace pour leur identification.
About the author
Sadra Zekrgoo received his M.A. in Conservation of Fine Arts, specializing in paper conservation from Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. He has been trained in the field of paper conservation at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, National Archives of Malaysia, and the British Library. He presented a paper based on his findings on Persian ink and ink-making of medieval period at the 8th Islamic Manuscript Conference, held in Cambridge University 2012. He currently works as a private paper conservator in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Historical and Philosophical Sciences, University of Melbourne. His field of interest includes the reconstruction of traditional inks, and different analysis methods used in identifying them.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to express his gratitude towards Dr. Jane Colbourne (MA. supervisor), Dr. Brian Singer, Mr. Jason Revel, and Mr. Robert Best, for their guidance throughout the process of this research which has been part of the author’s master dissertation.
A special thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mandana Barkeshli, Prof. Dr. Amir H. Zekrgoo and Master Keikhosrow Khoroush for their support and sharing of knowledge in regards to Persian art, calligraphy and ink making.
My gratitude to the staff of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) for their consent in using the museum library and analysis lab for the purpose of this research.
I should also thank Dr. Fariba Afkari and her team at the Tehran University Central Library for providing the author with images of original treatises and manuscripts and for their consent to use the images for the purpose of this paper.
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©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin / Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The “Schinkel’s Legacy” Project at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
- ATWISE: An Innovative Apparatus for Efficiently Documenting Watermarks in Manuscripts
- Methods of Creating, Testing and Identifying Traditional Black Persian Inks
- Fungi in Fox Spots of a Drawing by Leon Wyczółkowski
- Fungal Biodeterioration of Paper: How are Paper and Book Conservators Dealing with it? An International Survey
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The “Schinkel’s Legacy” Project at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin
- ATWISE: An Innovative Apparatus for Efficiently Documenting Watermarks in Manuscripts
- Methods of Creating, Testing and Identifying Traditional Black Persian Inks
- Fungi in Fox Spots of a Drawing by Leon Wyczółkowski
- Fungal Biodeterioration of Paper: How are Paper and Book Conservators Dealing with it? An International Survey
