forty centuries of ink-第3章

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the　Younger　Pliny　and　Dioscorides　are　the　most　prominent

of　them。　They　present　many　curious　recipes。

One　of　these；　suggested　by　Pliny；　is　that　the　addition

of　an　infusion　of　wormwood　to　ink　will　prevent　the

destruction　of　MSS。　by　mice。



From　a　memoir　by　M。　Rousset　upon　the　pigments

and　dyes　used　by　the　ancients；　it　would　appear　that

the　variety　was　very　considerable。　Among　the　white

colors；　they　were　acquainted　with　white　lead；　and　for

the　blacks；　various　kinds　of　charcoal　and　soot　were

used。　Animal　skins　were　dyed　black　with　gall　apples

and　sulphate　of　iron　（copper）。　Brown　pigments　were

made　by　mixing　different　kinds　of　ochre。　Under　the

name　of　Alexander　blue；　the　ancientsEgyptians　as

well　as　Greeks　and　Romansused　a　pigment　containing

oxide　of　copper；　and　also　one　containing　cobalt。



Fabrics　were　dyed　blue　by　means　of　pastel…wood。



Yellow　pigments　were　principally　derived　from　weld；

saffron；　and　other　native　plants。



Vermilion；　red　ochre；　and　minium　（red　lead）　were

known　from　a　remote　antiquity；　although　the　artificial

preparation　of　vermilion　was　a　secret　possessed

only　by　the　Chinese。



The　term　scarlet　as　employed　in　the　Old　Testament

was　used　to　designate　the　blood…red　color　procured

from　an　insect　somewhat　resembling　cochineal；　found

in　great　quantities　in　Armenia　and　other　eastern

countries。　The　Arabian　name　of　the　insect　is　Kermez

（whence　crimson）。　It　frequents　the　boughs　of　a　species

of　the　ilex　tree：　on　these　it　lays　its　eggs　in　groups；

which　become　covered　with　a　sort　of　down；　so　that

they　present　the　appearance　of　vegetable　galls　or

excrescences　from　the　tree　itself　and　are　described　as

such　by　Pliny　XVI；　12；　who　also　gave　it　the　name　of

granum；　probably　on　account　of　its　resemblance　to　a

grain　or　berry；　which　has　been　adopted　by　more　recent

writers　and　is　the　origin　of　the　term　〃ingrain　color〃

as　now　in　use。　The　dye　is　procured　from　the　female

grub　alone；　which；　when　alive　is　about　the　size　of　the

kernel　of　a　cherry　and　of　a　dark　red…brown　color；　but

when　dead；　shrivels　up　to　the　size　of　a　grain　of　wheat

and　is　covered　with　a　bluish　mold。　It　has　an　agreeable

aromatic　smell　which　it　imparts　to　that　with　which

it　comes　into　contact。　It　was　first　found　in　general

use　in　Europe　in　the　tenth　century。　About　1550；

cochineal；　introduced　there　from　Mexico；　was　found

to　be　far　richer　in　coloring　matter　and　therefore　gradually

superseded　the　older　dyestuff。



Indigo　was　used　in　India　and　Egypt　long　before　the

Christian　era；　and　it　is　asserted　that　blue　ribbons

（strips）　found　on　Egyptian　mummies　4500　years　old

had　been　dyed　with　indigo。　It　was　introduced　into

Europe　only　in　the　sixteenth　century。



The　use　of　madder　as　a　red　dyestuff　dates　from　very

early　times。　Pliny　mentions　it　as　being　employed　by

the　Hindoos；　Persians　and　Egyptians。　In　the　middle

ages　the　names　sandis；　warantia；　granza；　garancia；

were　applied　to　madder；　the　latter　（garance）　being

still　retained　in　France。　The　color　yielding　substance

resides　almost　entirely　in　the　roots。



Chilzon　was　the　name　given　by　the　ancient　Hebrews

to　a　blue　dye　procured　from　a　species　of　shell…fish。



Herodotus；　B。　C。　443；　asserts　that　on　the　shores　of

the　Caspian　Sea　lived　a　people　who　painted　the　forms

of　animals　on　their　garments　with　vegetable　dyes：



〃They　have　trees　whose　leaves　possess　a　peculiar

property；　they　reduce　them　to　powder；　and　then

strip　them　in　water；　this　forms　a　dye　or　coloring

matter　with　which　they　paint　on　their　garments　the

figures　of　animals。　The　impression　is　such　that　it

cannot　be　washed　out；　it　appears；　indeed；　to　be

woven　into　the　cloth；　and　wears　as　long　as　the　garment

itself。〃



We　are　informed　by　another　ancient　writer　that　the

pagan　nations　were　accustomed　to　array　the　images

of　their　gods　in　robes　of　purple。　When　the　prophet

Ezekiel　took　up　a　lamentation　for　Tyre；　he　spoke　of

the　〃blue　and　purple　from　the　isles　of　Elishah〃　in

which　the　people　were　clothed。　This　reference　is　said

to　doubtless　refer　to　the　islands　of　the　Aegian　Sea；

from　whence　many　claim　；　the　Tyrians　obtained　the

shell…fish；the　murex　and　papura；　which　produced　the

dark…blue　and　bright…scarlet　coloring　materials；　the

employment　of　which　contributed　so　much　to　the　fame

of　ancient　Tyre。



Pliny　the　younger　confirms　this　statement：





〃The　Tyrian…purple　was　the　juice　of　the　Purpurea；

a　shell…fish；　the　veins　of　its　neck　and　jaws

secreting　this　royal　color；　but　so　little　was　obtained

that　it　was　very　rare　and　cost　one　thousand

Denarii　（about　150。00）　per　pound。〃



A　more　modern　writer　in　discussing　a　crimson　or

ruby　color　says：



〃By　a　mistaken　sense　the　Latin　word　purpurus；

has　been　called　purple；　by　all　the　English　and

French　writers。〃



Arbuthnot；　London；　1727；　in　his　book　〃Ancient

Coins；　Weights　and　Measures；〃　as　the　result　of　his

examinations　of　the　most　ancient　records　estimates：



〃The　Purple　was　very　dear；　there　were　two

sorts　of　Fishes　whereof　it　was　made；　the　Pelagii；

（which　were　those　that　were　caught　in　the　deep）

and　the　Buccini。　The　Pelagium　per　Pound　was

worth　50　Nummi；　（8　s。　10　3/4　d。）；　and　the　Buceinunt

double　that；　viz。　17　s。　8　3/4　d。　（Harduin

reads　a　hundred　Pounds　at　that　price。）　The　Tyrian

double　Dye　per　Pound　could　scarce　be　bought

for　L35　9　s。；　1　3/4　d。〃



The　very　ancient　writers　state　that　the　most　esteemed

of　the　Tyrian　purples　were　those　which　compared

in　color　with　〃coagulated　bullocks'　blood。〃

This　estimation　seems　to　go　back　to　the　time　of　the

Phoenicians；　who　were　excessively　fond　of　the　redder

shades　of　purple　which　they　obtained　also　from　several

varieties　of　shell…fish　and　comprehended　under　two

species；　one　（Buccinum）　found　in　cliffs；　and　the　other

（Pelagia）　which　was　captured　at　sea。　The　first　was

found　on　the　coasts　of　the　Mediterranean　and　Atlantic。

The　Atlantic　shells　afforded　the　darkest　color；　while

those　of　the　Phoenician　coast　itself　yielded　scarlet

shades　of　wonderful　intensity。



Respecting　the　cost　and　durability　of　the　Tyrian

purple；　it　is　related　that　Alexander　the　Great　found　in

the　treasury　of　the　Persian　monarch　5；000　quintals　of

Hermione　purple　of　great　beauty；　and　180　years　old；

and　that　it　was　worth　125　of　our　money　per　pound

weight。　The　price　of　dyeing　a　pound　of　wool　in　the

time　of　Augustus　is　given　by　Pliny；　and　that　price　is

equal　to　about　160　of　our　money。　It　is　probable

that　his　remarks　refer　to　some　particular　tint　or　quality

of　color　easily　distinguished；　although　not　at　all　clearly

defined　by　Pliny。　He　also　mentions　a　sort　of　purple；

or　hyacinth；　which　was　worth；　in　the　time　of　Julius

Caesar；　100　denarii　（about　15　of　our　money）　per

pound。



The　best　authorities　of　the　present　day；　however；

are　of　opinion　that　the　celebrated　Tyrian…purple　was

extracted　from　a　mollusk　known　as　the　Janthina　prolongata；

a　shell　abundant　in　the　Mediterranean　and

very　common　near　Narbonne；　where　the　Tyrian　purple

dye…works　were　in　operation　at　least　six　hundred

years　before　Christ。



The　price　current　of　some　of　the　inks　and　colors　of

antiquity；　as　quoted　by　Arbuthnot；　are　cited　herewith：



Armenian　purple　30　hs。=4　s。　10　1/3　d。



India　purple　from　one　Denarius；　or　7　3/4　d。　to　30

Denarii；　19　s。　4　1　2　d。



Pelagium；　the　juice　of　one　sort　fishes　that　dyed

purple；　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Buccinum　the　juice　of　the　other　fish　that　dyed

purple；　100　hs。=16　s。　1　3/4　d。



Cinnabar　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Tarentine　red　purple；　price　not　mentioned。



Melinum；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　Melos；

one　Nummus；=1　15/16　d。



Paretonium；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　aegypt；

very　lasting；　6　Denarii；=3　s。　10　1/2　d。



Myrobalanus；　2　Denarii；=1　s。　3　1/2　d。



The　last…named　substance　is　the　fruit　of　the　Termi…

nalia；　a　product　of　China　and　the　East　Indies；　best

known　as　Myrabolams　and　must　have　been　utilized

solely　for　the　tanni