HENNA (HANĀʾĪ) DYE RECIPES

Henna is one of the most recommended dye to colour papers and the most of Persian historical treatises stress the ratio of henna and water for obtaining the dye. In all sources, the methods used for making henna are almost the same.

Henna is specifically recommended in historical treatises for creating a natural (ḵodrang) and henna (hanāʾī) colours either in its pure form or mixed with saffron and sometimes with addition of few drops of ink. For example, Soltān Aḥmad Majnun Rafīqī Heravī in Mid 16th century suggests in his Adāb al-Mašq in a beautiful poetic form to add saffron to henna:

ای طرفه پسر که عشق داری          وز عشق هوای مشق داری

رو کاغذ طرفه ای بدست آر      بریان و لطیف و صاف و هموار

رنگی که صفای خط در آن است      از آب حنا و زعفرانست

Oh, wondrous son, with love aglow,
In the realm of love for learning you sow.

Fetch the paper, delicate and fine,
Crisp, smooth, a melody in design.

The calligraphy adorned in a hue,
Woven from henna and saffron's true.

In number of other sources such as Ṣolṭān Aḥmad Majnun Rafiqi Heravi in Savād al-ḵaṭ, Soltan Ali Mašhadi in Ṣerāt al-Ṣoṭur, all in 16th century , and anonymeous author in Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Rang Kardan-e Kāğaḏ, (19th century) the addition of a few drops of black ink into the mixture of saffron and henna are advised.

Ṣolṭān Aḥmad Majnun Rafiqi Heravi in Savād al-ḵaṭṭ (after 930 A.H./1523 A.D.) reads:

رنگِ اصل که استادانِ ما تقدم کرده اند حنا و زعفران و سیاه است

The recommended original color by our masters is a blend of henna, saffron, and black ink.

Soltan Ali Mašhadi  in Ṣerāt al-Ṣoṭur (920 A.H./1514 A.D.) reads:

هیچ رنگی به از حنایی نیست     با تو گویم که رنگ آن از چیست

زعفران و حنا و قطره ای چند    از مداد است بیش ازین مپسند

خط بر او خوب و هم طلا خوب است    زینت خط خوب مرغوب است

No color surpasses the richness of henna,
Let me unveil the secrets of its hue.

Saffron and henna, with a hint so true,
A few drops of ink, don't let it undue.

In harmony, calligraphy and gold ensue,
An adornment for writing, of finest view.

Bābā Shāh-e Isfahānī in Adāb al-Mašq ((Mid 10th A.H./16th A.D.) reads:

هیچ رنگی به از حنایی نیست         حاجت آنکه آزمایی نیست

و مصالح آن رنگ حنا و مداد و زعفران است

No hue matches the grace of henna's twist,
No need to experiment, its charm persists.

And the ingredients for that color are henna, ink, and saffron.

Two sources in Resaleh-ye Joharrieh (837 AH/1433 A.D.), Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Kāğaḏ Morakkab va Ḥall-e Alvān both in 15th century, the authors describe the henna dye called ḵodrang[1] as follows:

قدری برگ حنای پاک، بی غبار و خاک را، که نا کوفته بُوَد در آب گرم کند و یک روز یا یک شب بگذارد، بعد از آن بیالاید و صاف سازد و کاغذ بدان رنگ کند. و هر یک سیر حنا را ده سیر آب باید، و اگر آب زیاده کند رنگ مَلٌه شود. و اکثر این رنگ اختیار کرده اند

Take a handful of pure, dust-free henna leaves, soak them in warm water, and let them sit for a day or night. After that, strain the mixture to obtain the henna extract, which can be used to color paper. The recommended ratio is ten parts water to one part henna for optimal results. Adding excessive water may result in a color resembling earthy tones. This color choice has been widely preferred.

In Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Ṭarīqeh-ye Sāḵtan-e Morakkab va Kāğaḏ-e Alvān (16th century), very briefly has been advised to dye the paper with henna with no mention of ratio:

قدری حنا گرفته در آب کند و صاف سازد و کاغذ را رنگ کند، بغایت خوب شود

Take some henna, dissolve it in water, strain it, and use it to dye paper. The result will be excellent.

Seyrafi in Golzār-e Ṣafā (950 A.H./1543 A.D.), gives a ratio of water and henna without any specific measure in his recipe. His poem on the procedure of making henna dye is noteworthy:

کاغذ ای دوست چو خود رنگ کنی    خود به این رنگ هماهنگ کنی

بستان برگ حنا را بسیار          پاک کن وانگهی از گرد و غبار

آب کن گرم در آن رنگ نخست     پس حنا ریز در آن آب درست

وزن آن آب حنا را دریاب                یکی از برگ حنا و ده آب

یک شبانروز به جایش بنه             صاف کن آب به آن رنگ بنه

کاغذ از رنگ تو گیرد وایه          خشک سازش پس از آن در سایه

Oh friend, when you wish to color paper on your own,
Blend yourself with this hue, make it finely honed.

Gather henna leaves in abundance, so pure,
Free them from dust, let their essence endure.

Warm water first, in the coloring debut,
Then add henna leaves, in the right water brew.

Weigh the henna mix, an art to be wise,
One part henna leaves, to ten water size.

Let it rest overnight, in the quiet night,
Filter the solution, pure and clear in light.

Paper takes on your color, a joy untold,
Dry it in the shade, let its beauty unfold.

As seen, most of the above-mentioned sources strongly advise to dye paper with henna at a ratio of 1:10, and for this the antifungal properties of henna on paper have been investigated. It was found that henna starts to act as a fungicide against asprigillus flavus exactly at a ratio of 1:10 (Barkeshli & et al., 2008).

It should be mentioned here that in only one treatise, Resāleh-ye Ṣaḥāfi by Seyyed-al Sādāt Seyyed Yusef Hossein (second half of 18th A.D.), a lower concentration of one sir of henna in half mann of water is advised:

حنا آر و به سایه خشک گردان          بگیر یک سیر و در وی صاف گردان

به سیری نیم من کن آب شیرین          بجوشانی بکن تو نیمهٔ این

کشی کاغذ کزین آب حنایی               پس از خشکی مگر مهره کشایی

Take henna leaves, let them in the shade dry,
One sīr of dried henna, with half mann water comply.

Bring it to a boil in a pot, a gentle brew,
Filter the potion, paper in henna dye you strew.

Dry the paper after, in the gentle shade,
Burnish it with care, a masterpiece is made.

In Resāleh-ye Ḵošnevīsī (1120 A.H./1708 A.D.) in 18th century, and in Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Rang Kardan-e Kāğaḏ in 19th century, the desired colour through personal experience is recommended by experiencing to add saffron and few drops of ink to henna to obtain henna (hanāʾī) colour. Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Rang Kardan-e Kāğaḏ (19th century) reads the recipe as follows:

برگ حنا در آب تر کرده، تخمیناً یک روز در آب بگذارد، بعد از آن که رنگ را وا دهد، آب مذکور را در ظرفی کرده قطره ای مرکّب یا دو سه قطره آب زعفران ریزد و تجربه نماید اگر آب حنا غلیظ تر بود آب بیشترک بیندازد تا به رنگ حنایی موافق شود آنگه کاغذها بی رنگ کرده بر روی طناب خشک کند. و از بهرِ کتاب رنگی بهتر از حنایی نمی باشد.

Moisten henna leaves, let them stay in water for a day. Extract their color and gently place it in a vessel. Add a few drops of ink or saffron, or both, and experiment to achieve the desired hue. Adjust with more water if needed. Dip the paper in the dye and let it finally dry it over a piece of rope. For books, nothing surpasses the beauty of henna color.

[1] ḵod-rang preserving the natural velour, unchanged; also yellowish color. (Steingass 2011)

[2] Sīr is a traditional Iranian measure equivalent to 75 grams.

[3] mallah (مَلٌه ): According to Dehkhoda it is called for a piece of cloth in earth colour. Here it refers to the cream colour obtained from henna