Photo by Max Tcvetkov on Unsplash
Modern paint and ink, made from synthetic dyes, fades and chips. How did medieval manuscript illuminations last centuries?
Scientists are working on that and think they have solved one of the mysteries.
“The Mystery of a Medieval Blue Ink Has Been Solved.” by Isaac Schultz. Atlas Obscura. 2020 April 17. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/folium-medieval-ink?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page (last viewed)
Another little tidbit dropped in here is how medieval times SHIPPED ink. They super-dyed some cloth and shipped the ink and dye that way. I always thought they shipped the plants/materials and people in various parts of the world would make the inks there, but this way makes so much more sense. Concentrated, so shipping is more cost effective. The importers don’t need any special technology, just a bucket of water. Of course they shipped it by dyed linen.