Ink

The use of a quill and a pot of ink was the method used by scribes in the Medieval era of Christine. The pot of ink was usually a horn. These were either set in metal hoops attached to the desk or set in holes at the right side of the desk. When two holes were used it was for the black ink and red ink.

During the period when this manuscript was written the ink would have been iron-gall ink. One of the main ingredients for this ink was the gallnut(formed from wasp nests). These gallnuts were rich in gallic and tannic acids. A second ingredient is ferrous sulphate or copperas. When mixed together this solution turns slowly from brown to black. A final ingredient is gum arabic (not for its adhesive qualities, but for thickening the ink). This last ingredient is a necessity when using quill pens. Some important attributes of iron-gall ink in the production of manuscripts includes: darkening when exposed to air, good absorption into the parchment (so it does not rub off like its predecessor carbon ink), and it is both more translucent and shiny than carbon ink.

Red ink was also used in The Book of the Queen manuscript. The red ink was produced by mixing mercuric sulfide, with the white of an egg and gum arabic or mixing brazilwood chips with vinegar and gum arabic.

Other pigments used in this time period were lapis lazuli (blue), vermilion red, verdigris and malachite green. Gold ink was used as well.