forty centuries of ink-第2章

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certain　color　values　given　to　them；　of　which　the　more

important　were　blue；　red；　yellow；　green；　white；　black；

purple；　gold　and　silver。　Some　colors　were　estimated

symbolically。　White　was　everywhere　the　symbol　of

purity　and　the　emblem　of　innocence；　and；　just　opposite；

black　was　held　up　as　an　emblem　of　affliction　and

calamity。



Green　was　the　emblem　of　freshness；　vigor　and　prosperity。



Blue　was　the　symbol　of　revelation；　it　was　pre…eminently

the　celestial　color　blessed　among　heathen

nations；　and　among　the　Hebrews　it　was　the　Jehovah

color；　the　symbol　of　the　revered　God。　Hence；　it

was　the　color　predominant　in　Mosaic　ceremonies。



Purple　was　associated　as　the　dress　of　kings；　with

ideas　of　royalty　and　majesty。



Crimson　and　scarlet；　from　their　resemblance　to

blood；　became　symbolical　of　life；　and　also　an　emblem

of　that　which　was　indelible　or　deeply　ingrained。



Later；　in　Christian　times；　only　five　colors　were　recognized

as　fitting　for　theological　meaning　or　expression：

white；　red；　green；　violet　and　black。



White　was　esteemed　as　being　the　union　of　all　the

rays　of　light；　and　is　often　referred　to　as　the　symbol　of

truth　and　spotless　purity。　Red　was　emblematic　both

of　fire　and　love；　while　green　from　its　analogy　to　the

vegetable　world；　was　indicative　of　life　and　hope。　Violet

was　considered　the　color　of　penitence　and　sorrow。

Blue　was　forbidden　except　as　a　color　peculiarly　appropriated

to　the　Virgin　Mary；　while　black　represented

universally　sorrow；　destruction　and　death。



The　art　of　dyeing　was　also　well　understood　and

practiced　in　Persia　in　the　most　ancient　periods。　The

modern　Persians　have　chosen　Christ　as　their　patron；

and　Bischoff　says　at　present　call　a　dyehouse　Christ's

workshop；　from　a　tradition　they　have　that　He　was　of

that　profession；　which　is　probably　founded　on　the　old

legend　〃that　Christ　being　put　apprentice　to　a　dyer；

His　master　desired　him　to　dye　some　pieces　of　cloth　of

different　colors；　He　put　them　all　into　a　boiler；　and

when　the　dyer　took　them　out　he　was　terribly　frightened

on　finding　that　each　had　its　proper　color。〃



This；　or　a　similar　legend；　occurs　in　the　apocryphal

book　entitled；　〃The　First　Gospel　of　the　Infancy　of

Jesus　Christ。〃　The　following　is　the　passage：



〃On　a　certain　day　also；　when　the　Lord　Jesus

was　playing　with　the　boys；　and　running　about；　He

passed　by　a　dyer's　shop　whose　name　was　Salem；

and　there　were　in　his　shop　many　pieces　of　cloth

belonging　to　the　people　of　that　city；　which　they

designed　to　dye　of　several　colors。　Then　the　Lord；

Jesus；　going　into　the　dyer's　shop；　took　all　the　cloths

and　threw　them　into　the　furnace。　When　Salem

came　home　and　saw　the　cloth　spoiled；　he　began　to

make　a　great　noise　and　to　chide　the　Lord　Jesus；

saying：　'What　hast　Thou　done；　unto　me；　O　thou

son　of　Mary？　Thou　hast　injured　both　me　and　my

neighbors；　they　all　desired　their　cloths　of　a　proper

color；　but　Thou　hast　come　and　spoiled　them　all。'

The　Lord　Jesus　replied：　'I　will　change　the　color

of　every　cloth　to　what　color　thou　desirest；'　and

then　He　presently　began　to　take　the　cloths　out　of

the　furnace；　and　they　were　all　dyed　of　those　same

colors　which　the　dyer　desired。　And　when　the　Jews

saw　this　surprising　miracle　they　praised　God。〃



The　ancients　used　also　a　number　of　tinctures　as

ink；　among　them　a　brown　color；　sepia；　in　Hebrew

tekeleth。　As　a　natural　ink　its　origin　antedates　every

other　ink；　artificial　or　otherwise；　in　the　world。　It　is　a

black…brown　liquor；　secreted　by　a　small　gland　into　an

oval　pouch；　and　through　a　connecting　duct　is　ejected

at　will　by　the　cuttle　fish　which　inhabits　the　seas　of

Europe；　especially　the　Mediterranean。　These　fish

constantly　employ　the　contents　of　their　〃ink　bags〃

to　discolor　the　water；　when　in　the　presence　of　enemies；

in　order　to　facilitate　their　escape　from　them。



The　black　broth　of　the　Spartans　was　composed　of

this　product。　The　Egyptians　sometimes　used　it　for

coloring　inscriptions　on　stone。　It　is　the　most　lasting

of　all　natural　ink　substances。



So　great　is　the　antiquity　of　artificial　ink　that　the

name　of　its　inventor　or　date　of　its　invention　are　alike

unknown。　The　poet　Whitehead　refers　to　it　as　follows：



　　　　　Hard　that　his　name　it　should　not　save；

　　　　　Who　first　poured　forth　the　sable　wave。〃





The　common　black　ink　of　the　ancients　was　essentially

different　in　composition　and　less　liable　to　fade

than　those　used　at　the　present　time。　It　was　not　a

stain　like　ours；　and　when　Horace　wrote



　　　　　〃And　yet　as　ink　the　fairest　paper　stains；

　　　　　So　worthless　verse　pollutes　the　fairest　deeds；〃



he　must　have　had　in　mind　the　vitriolic　ink　of　his　own

time。



But　little　information　relative　to　black　inks　of　the

intermediate　times　has　come　down　to　us；　and　it　is　conveyed

through　questioned　writings　of　authors　who

flourished　about　the　period　of　the　life　of　Jesus　Christ；

the　Younger　Pliny　and　Dioscorides　are　the　most　prominent

of　them。　They　present　many　curious　recipes。

One　of　these；　suggested　by　Pliny；　is　that　the　addition

of　an　infusion　of　wormwood　to　ink　will　prevent　the

destruction　of　MSS。　by　mice。



From　a　memoir　by　M。　Rousset　upon　the　pigments

and　dyes　used　by　the　ancients；　it　would　appear　that

the　variety　was　very　considerable。　Among　the　white

colors；　they　were　acquainted　with　white　lead；　and　for

the　blacks；　various　kinds　of　charcoal　and　soot　were

used。　Animal　skins　were　dyed　black　with　gall　apples

and　sulphate　of　iron　（copper）。　Brown　pigments　were

made　by　mixing　different　kinds　of　ochre。　Under　the

name　of　Alexander　blue；　the　ancientsEgyptians　as

well　as　Greeks　and　Romansused　a　pigment　containing

oxide　of　copper；　and　also　one　containing　cobalt。



Fabrics　were　dyed　blue　by　means　of　pastel…wood。



Yellow　pigments　were　principally　derived　from　weld；

saffron；　and　other　native　plants。



Vermilion；　red　ochre；　and　minium　（red　lead）　were

known　from　a　remote　antiquity；　although　the　artificial

preparation　of　vermilion　was　a　secret　possessed

only　by　the　Chinese。



The　term　scarlet　as　employed　in　the　Old　Testament

was　used　to　designate　the　blood…red　color　procured

from　an　insect　somewhat　resembling　cochineal；　found

in　great　quantities　in　Armenia　and　other　eastern

countries。　The　Arabian　name　of　the　insect　is　Kermez

（whence　crimson）。　It　frequents　the　boughs　of　a　species

of　the　ilex　tree：　on　these　it　lays　its　eggs　in　groups；

which　become　covered　with　a　sort　of　down；　so　that

they　present　the　appearance　of　vegetable　galls　or

excrescences　from　the　tree　itself　and　are　described　as

such　by　Pliny　XVI；　12；　who　also　gave　it　the　name　of

granum；　probably　on　account　of　its　resemblance　to　a

grain　or　berry；　which　has　been　adopted　by　more　recent

writers　and　is　the　origin　of　the　term　〃ingrain　color〃

as　now　in　use。　The　dye　is　procured　from　the　female

grub　alone；　which；　when　alive　is　about　the　size　of　the

kernel　of　a　cherry　and　of　a　dark　red…brown　color；　but

when　dead；　shrivels　up　to　the　size　of　a　grain　of　wheat

and　is　covered　with　a　bluish　mold。　It　has　an　agreeable

aromatic　smell　which　it　imparts　to　that　with　which

it　comes　into　contact。　It　was　first　found　in　general

use　in　Europe　in　the　tenth　century。　About　1550；

cochineal；　introduced　there　from　Mexico；　was　found

to　be　far　richer　in　coloring　matter　and　therefore　gradually

superseded　the　older　dyestuff。



Indigo　was　used　in　India　and　Egypt　long　before　the

Christian　era；　and　it　is　asserted　that　blue　ribbons

（strips）　found　on　Egyptian　mummies　4500　years　old

had　been　dyed　with　indigo。　It　was　introduced　into

Europe　only　in　the　sixteenth　century。



The　use　of　madder　as　a　red　dyestuff　dates　from　very

early　times。　Pliny　mentions　it　as　being　employed　by

the　Hindoos；　Persians　and　Egyptians。　In　the　middle

ages　the　names　sandis；　warantia；　granza；　garancia；

were　applied　to　madder；　the　latter　（garance）　being

still　retained　in　France。　The　color　yielding　substance

resides　almost　entirely　in　the　roots。



Chilzon　was　the　name　given　by　the　ancient　Hebrews

to　a　blue　dye　procured　from　a　species　of　shell…fish。



Herodotus；　B。　C。　443；　asserts　that　on　the　shores　of

the　Caspian　Sea　lived　a　people　who　painted　the　forms

of　animals　on　their　garments　with　vegetable　dyes：



〃They　have　trees　whose　leaves　possess　a　peculiar

property；　they　reduce　them　to　powder；　and　then

strip　them　in　water；　this　forms　a　dye　or　coloring

matter　with　which　they　paint　on　their　garments　the

figures　of　animals。　The　impression　is　such　that　it

cannot　be　washed　out；　it　appears；　indeed；　to　be

woven　into　the　cloth；　and　wears　as　long　as　the　garment

itself。〃



We　are　informed　by　another　ancient　writer　that　the

pagan　nations　were　accustomed　to　array　the　images

of　their　gods　in　robes　of　purple。　When　the　prophet

Ezekiel　took　up　a　lamentation　for　Tyre；　he　spoke　of

the　〃blue　and　purple　from　the　isles　of　Elishah〃　in

which　the　people　were　clothed。　This　reference　is　said

to　doubtless　refer　to　the　islands　of　the　Aegian　Sea；

from　whence　many　claim　；　the　Tyrians　obtained　the

shell…fish；the　murex　and　papura；　which　produced　the

dark…blue　and　bright…scarlet　coloring　materials；　the

employment　of　which　contributed　so　much　to　the　fame

of　ancient　Tyre。



Pliny　the　younger　confirms　this　statement：





〃The　Tyrian…purple　was　the　juice　of　the　Purpurea；

a　shell…fish；　the　veins　of　its　neck　and　jaws

secreting　this　royal　color；　but　so　little　was　obtained

that　it　was　very　rare　and　cost　one　thousand

Denarii　（about　150。00）　per　pound。〃



A　more　modern　writer　in　discussing　a　crimson　or

ruby　color　says：



〃By　a　mistaken　sense　the　Latin　word　purpurus；

has　been　called　purple；　by　all　the　English　and

French　writers。〃



Arbuthnot；　London；　1727；　in　his　book　〃Ancient

Coins；　Weights　and　Measures；〃　as　the　result　of　his

examinations　of　the　most　ancient　records　estimates：



〃The　Purple　was　very　dear；　there　were　two

sorts　of　Fishes　whereof　it　was　made；　the　Pelagii；

（which　were　those　that　were　caught　in　the　deep）

and　the　Buccini。　The　Pelagium　per　Pound　was

worth　50　Nummi；　（8　s。　10　3/4　d。）；　and　the　Buceinunt

double　that；　viz。　17　s。　8　3/4　d。　（Harduin

reads　a　hundred　Pounds　at　that　price。）　The　Tyrian

double　Dye　per　Pound　could　scarce　be　bought

for　L35　9　s。；　1　3/4　d。〃



The　very　ancient　writers　state　that　the　most　esteemed

of　the　Tyrian　purples　were　those　which　compared

in　color　with　〃coagulated　bullocks'　blood。〃

This　estimation　seems　to　go　back　to　the　time　of　the

Phoenicians；　who　were　excessively　fond　of　the　redder

shades　of　purple　which　they　obtained　also　from　several

varieties　of　shell…fish　and　comprehended　under　two

species；　one　（Buccinum）　found　in　cliffs；　and　the　other

（Pelagia）　which　was　captured　at　sea。　The　first　was

found　on　the　coasts　of　the　Mediterranean　and　Atlantic。

The　Atlantic　shells　afforded　the　darkest　color；　while

those　of　the　Phoenician　coast　itself　yielded　scarlet

shades　of　wonderful　intensity。