Last May, I visited the UK alone for two weeks and had an amazing time. I was sure to make it a point to do everything I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. I treated myself with trips to historical sites such as the Tower of London, The Cavern Club, and more. While there, I found a small art supply shop with all manners of goodies I couldn't possibly fit into my suitcase. I decided to pick out a few small items to take home with me, one of those being a small bottle of iron gall ink. Unknowingly, I had just sown the seeds of an interest that wouldn't bloom until 7 months later.
My bottle of ink.
Iron gall ink was a black ink used primarily from the 5th century CE to the 20th century CE. Another black ink called carbon ink was also used but iron gall was valued for its permanence, it was more difficult to scrape off the page with a blade and is water resistant. It is important to note that carbon ink and iron gall ink are difficult to distinguish from looks alone. It is convenient that several varieties of oak trees are found all over Europe, making oak galls easy to forage, perhaps also contributing to the ink's long time popularity.
Quercus Petraea (Sessile Oak) distribution map
https://www.euforgen.org/species/quercus-petraea
Iron gall ink has a blueish/purple black tone when first used. Over time the colour of the ink may change from black to a brown tone due to factors such as poor paper quality, improper storage, etc. The ink also fades over time.
Leonardo da Vinci, study for the background of The Adoration of The Magi, around 1481, iron gall ink on paper
The ink is made of four ingredients: oak galls, iron sulphate, gum arabic, and water.
Water
Rain water was typically used in recipes for iron gall ink. The liquid used could vary, however. Some recipes suggest wine (which itself contains tannins from the grape skins) or beer.
Oak galls
Galls (also called oak apples by some) can best be thought of as a tree "scab". They are growths that encase damage done to the bark of the tree. The damage can include fungi, bacteria, and insects. Gall wasps are named after these growths, as the laying of their eggs in the tree bark causes galls to form. It is very common to crack open a gall and find wasp larvae inside. Galls that have a small hole on them indicate that the larvae have chewed their way out of the growth, these are ideal for ink production. Galls start out green and fleshy and mature to be hard and easy to crush with a mortar and pestle for processing into ink. They are rich in tannins which make them perfect for this purpose.
Oak galls
https://www.advancedtreecareinc.com/oak-galls-strange-growths-and-what-to-do-about-them/
Iron Sulphate
Also called "vitriol" or "green vitriol" in old recipes. "green vitriol" comes from the greenish colour of iron sulphate. When combined with the crushed and soaked oak gall mixture, the liquid turns black on contact, producing the rich black tone of the ink.
Gum Arabic
A vegetable gum obtained from the Acacia tree native to Egypt and the Levant. In ink, the gum arabic acts as a suspension agent for the insoluble ink particles. It "thickens" the ink, allowing it to flow smoothly from the pen. This is less an issue for modern dip pens, but quills (being made from large goose feathers) have larger barrels and require a thicker ink to be used properly. Gum arabic also helps bind the ink to the parchment, adding to the ink's favourable qualities.
I would love to make iron gall ink for myself one day. Until then, I have a lovely little bottle to admire and perhaps use at some point. I feel a reluctance to open it. I worry about resealing the cork properly and the possibility of the ink drying up. Its not easy to travel the the UK to replace it, or perhaps its the perfect excuse to visit again.
A fantastic resource on iron gall ink which I have found incredibly useful:
https://irongallink.org/index.html
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