OTHER SHADES OF COLOUR

In Resāleh-ye Joharrieh  (15th century), Simi Neyšapuri introduced three different techniques, to make calligraphy beautiful on paper, two of which are dyeing techniques while the other one refers to sizing as follows:

و چند نوع و گونه اختراع کرده اند، که خط بر وی خوب آید

-        قدری حنا و زعفران و کبودک با هم بیامیزد و کاغذ بدان رنگ کند

-        دیگر، اندکی سیاهی و زعفران و آب غوره مختلط کنند، و کاغذ بدان گونه دهند

-        دیگر، تخم خطمی، شبانروزی در آب کند و بیالاید و کاغذ بدان گونه دهد. و این بغایت مختار و پسندیده است. و کاغذ را نرم سازد. و خط بر وی خوب آید

Different kind of dyes are invented that become nice on paper.

- Some henna, saffron and turnsole dyes are mixed, and paper is dyed with it

- The other dye, little amount of black ink is added to saffron, and extract of unripe grape. Afterwards the paper is dyed with the mixture.

- The other one is to soak marshmallow seed (toḵm-e ḵatmī) for a day, filter it and apply to paper. It is found that the result will be most desirable, and the paper become soft and calligraphy on it will become nice.

Aqili Rostamdari in Ḵaṭ va Morakkab (16th century), suggested the usage of marshmallow seeds (Toḵm-e ḵatmī) to be mixed with  the mixtures suggested by Simi namely mixture of saffon, henna and blue turnsole, or mixture of unripe grape, saffron and black ink to dye paper with as follows:

چون کسی خواهد که الوان مختلف سازد باید که زعفران را به حنا و کبودک آمیزند یا غوره و زعفران و رنگ سیاه را بهم مخلوط کنند بعد از آن تخم خطمی را به آب کنند و یک شبانه روز بگذارند بعد از آن مواد او را بیرون کنند و به دستارچه بپالایند بعد از آن اعمال، کاغذ رنگ کنند بغایت خوشرنگ بُوَد.

If anyoes desires to make different shade of colour, one is that to mix saffron (saffron), henna (hanna) and tursole (kabudak) or mix unripe grape (ghureh), saffron and black ink. Then soak marshmallow seed (Toḵm-e ḵatmī) for a day in the dye solution. Then filter the mixture with a piece of cloth and dye paper with it which will obtain extremely vivid shade of colour.

In Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Ṭarīqeh-ye Sāḵtan-e Morakkab va Kāğaḏ-e Alvān (16th century), it is advised to dye paper with marshmallow (ḵatmī) but not specified whether it’s the seeds, or flowers that is  used. There is a possibility that the recipe it is referring to petals for obtaining purple-blue shade of colour, or it is referring to the seeds, to obtain mucilage to strenghthen the paper.

In Resāleh Dar Bayān-e Ṭarīqeh-ye Sāḵtan-e Morakkab va Kāğaḏ-e Alvān (16th century) the recipe reads as follows:

دیگر خطمی را یک شب و یک روز نم کند و کاغذ را بدان رنگ کند خط بر وی خوب آید.

Soak marshmallow (in some water) for one night and one day. Dye the paper with it. The calligraphy on it will become nice.