Combination of historical and experimental approaches for a better understanding of the black colour of the parchment of Margaret of Austria’s Basse Danse manuscript (KBR ms. 9085)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14568/cp43802Keywords:
Black parchment, Dyeing, Historical recipes, Reconstruction, Iron gall ink, Medieval manuscriptAbstract
Margaret of Austria’s Basse Danse manuscript is one of the earliest sources on dance and music in the medieval Low Countries. It also has a rare characteristic: it is written in gold and silver ink on black parchment. We lack information about the dyeing of parchment, particularly for producing black parchment. However, this knowledge is essential for understanding its current condition and for better planning its conservation. The manuscript shows extensive damage, probably due to the iron-gall nature of the black dye: the parchment, which is very fragile, has breaks and losses, that were the subject of a former, inappropriate restoration, resulting in further deterioration. By examining historical technical texts (recipes for the dyeing and for the making of inks) and conducting dyeing experiments on modern parchment, we aim to gain insight into the possible techniques used to create this remarkable manuscript.
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