A magical and medieval gift for a special someone, or treat yourself!
Be the first to try my new and improved Oak Gall Ink recipe with this extra special limited edition Oak Gall Ink housed in Christmas Tree Glass Bottles in three different sizes!
The medieval Oak Gall Ink (100ml) is a rich, black ink made from ferrous sulphate and the tannic acids in oak galls. The iron oxidises the ink to create a waterproof permanent ink that has been used since the 1st Century!
Oak gall or oak apple is the name for a round gall found on oak trees. They are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of gall wasps. Female wasps lay single eggs in developing oak buds and the larvae feed on the gall tissue modifying the oak bud into the gall.
Oak gall is the name for a growth found on oak trees. They are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of gall wasps. Female wasps lay single eggs in developing oak buds or on oaks leaves and the larvae feed on the gall tissue modifying the oak bud into the gall.
The earliest recipes for oak gall ink come from Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. Many important manuscripts have been written in oak gall ink, including the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest, most complete Bible known to exist, thought to be written in the middle of the 4th century. Surviving manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance are written using iron gall ink, and many drawings by Leonardo da Vinci were also made with oak gall ink.
The acidity of this ink makes it unsuitable for fountain pens as it will corrode the metal. I recommend a wooden ink pen or quill.
DO NOT DRINK. Shake lightly before use, as some pigment will settle.
Cloves have been added to prevent moulding, and gum arabic has been added to bind and increase the quality of the fluidity.
This ink is held in a 100ml glass bottle with a sealed wax cork and red jasper star stopper. To unseal, score the wax and lift the cork up.
5% of all sales will be split and donated to two charities; HOPE not hate - an organisation working to expose and oppose far-right extremism - and the National Autistic Society - a charity dedicated to transforming autistic lives and changing attitudes towards autism.
