The workshops will be free and exclusive for conference participants. They will take place on May 7, 2025.
To register, please fill in this form.

WS1 
“The manufacture of Iron Gall Inks: retracing past recipes”
with Natércia Teixeira, Rafael Javier Díaz Hidalgo and Malihe Sotoudeh

Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
How many shifts: 1
Max. No. of participants: 12
Duration of the WS: 2h30

In this workshop, we will reproduce iron gall inks and copy a medieval text with the perfect handwriting of medieval scribes. 
Using recipes described in Iberian sources and in the Andalusian technical treatise written by Muhammad ibn Idrīs ibn al-Qalalūsī in the 13th century, we will reproduce medieval writing iron gall inks.
We will be using writing materials and instruments as close as possible to those used at the time, so that each participant may travel back in time and experience what it was like to be a scribe in a scriptorium of a medieval monastery. 

WS2
“Making Iron Gall Inks with or without vitriols: All you need is soluble iron”
with Birgit Reissland, Véronique Rouchon and Ira Rabin

Time: 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
How many shifts: 1
Max. No. of participants: 12
Duration of the WS: 3h30

This workshop will focus on one of the primary ingredients for making iron gall ink: iron. Most ink recipes prescribe the use of green vitriol (iron(II) sulfate), but in some cases, only iron but no sulfur can be identified.
After a short theoretical introduction to historic ink recipes, the mining of vitriols, different compositions of vitriols and the role of iron vitriol in making ink, participants will prepare IGI inks according to historical recipes. Inks will be prepared without vitriol and with different types of vitriol.
This will be completed by applying the inks on various papers to illustrate the influence of the different vitriols on the colour of iron gall inks.

WS3
“Persian Medieval Inks, Dyes and Sizings on Paper Supports Based on Taimurid to Qajar Historical Recipes"
with Sadra Zekrgoo and Mandana Barkeshli

Time: 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
How many shifts: 1
Max. No. of participants: 12
Duration of the WS: 3h30

This workshop aims to impart knowledge of historical techniques and inspire a deep appreciation for the rich material culture of Persian manuscript art from 1370 to 1925 A.D. Particular emphasis is placed on Persian inks and a unique metal-tannate ink that utilizes red vitriol (potassium ferricyanide) instead of green vitriol (ferrous sulfate). We create metal tannate inks with green vitriol, blue vitriol (copper sulfate), and red vitriol and compare the colors and differences between European and Persian styles. The media is applied to papers treated with natural dyes such as saffron, henna, turmeric, and safflower. Sizings made from starch and asphodel, fleawort seed mucilage, and tragacanth are prepared to burnish the papers.

WS4
“Is it an iron gall ink? - Different approaches and challenges in IGI identification”
with Paula Nabais and Sílvia Sequeira

Time: 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00
How many shifts: 2
Max. No. of participants: 8
Duration of the WS: 2h

This workshop delves into iron gall ink identification techniques through hands-on exploration. We will experiment with both microchemical tests and spectroscopic analysis on standard samples and real documents. By comparing these methods, we will uncover the challenges, limitations, and how they complement each other to provide a comprehensive analysis.