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170 Alteration study of silver inks on parchment
another 25 to 30 minutes until the silver powder appeared fine enough for further process-
ing. In order to evaporate as much mercury (Hg) as possible the powder was ground under
high temperature for another 35 minutes. The fine silver powder was mixed with 10 drops
of cherry gum (5 %). Since the silver particles did not form a homogenous mixture with
the binding medium, but instead stayed separated, it was not possible to write with the
ink35 (Fig. 16). Therefore, the ink had to be excluded from the ageing study.
Reference ink ST9
Trost’s recipe H I, VII (variation I 1 b, model 137)36 was used to produce reference ink ST9.
Since the recipe has its origins in the Heraclius treatises, the recipe can at least be dated to
the 11th century. As only ox gall was added to powder silver, ST9 is categorised as pure silver
ink. Red wine was used as grinding aid. The aim was to evaluate, if wine, as an internal
acidic source, influenced subsequent corrosion.
For the refinement of the silver, 180 mg of silver leaves were ground by hand, using gum
arabic as a grinding aid. According to the recipe, the obtained pasty silver was transferred
into a marble mortar adding a little amount of water and was then ground for 15 min
with 0.5 ml of red wine. Afterwards the silver was washed eight times and dried before
being mixed with 13 drops of ox gall37. Reference ink ST9 could be applied easily with the
35 The reason may be that the particles were still not fine enough.
36 Trost, 1991, p. 243.
37 Only 0.1 ml of ox gall were used by Trost. Since the ink was not usable with this small amount of
binder, further drops of ox gall were added stepwise until the ink had a better consistence.
Fig. 16: Ink ST8_A in a glass. The ink could not be
used for writing.
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Title
- The Vienna Genesis
- Subtitle
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Editor
- Christa Hofmann
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Size
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Pages
- 348