Ferro Gallic Ink - Corroding HistoryFerro gallic ink was a type of black ink used in manuscripts fro
Ferro Gallic Ink - Corroding HistoryFerro gallic ink was a type of black ink used in manuscripts from the 11th-12th century. It is made by first extracting color from crushed gull nuts, acorns, or other plant material high in tannin and mixing the extraction with vitriol (iron sulphite) and an agglutinating agent, typically gum arabic.The addition of vitriol made ferro gallic ink far more permanent than its predecessor, carbon ink, which could be washed away despite its intense color. Nevertheless, vitirol was also highly corrosive. As a result, late medieval manuscripts that used ferro gallic ink have been eaten away by their own pigments. The past 20 years have seen massive efforts to prevent this decay, but the rate of damage continues to surpass the rate of restoration. It is thought that ferro gallic ink has been one of the worst inventions in the European codic canon.The photo above illustrates a codex that has been partially disintegrated by ferro gallic ink.Location: Yale University Library (New Haven, Massachusetts) Usage Rights: Content property of Yale University Library. Reproduced under Fair Use.ResourceUser: Marieflemay. “Iron Gall Ink.” Yale University Library Travelling Scriptorium, 21 Mar. 2013. Yale University Library, https://travelingscriptorium.library.yale.edu/2013/03/21/iron-gall-ink/ -- source link
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