Chapter 1
Ancient formulas that bound the written world
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Chapter 2
The chemical secrets of novel and invisible inks
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Chapter 3
Hermann Rorschach and the birth of the inkblot
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Chapter 4
The controversy and cultural legacy of inkblots
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YOUR GOAL
Master of Ink from scribes to inkblots
Ch 1 · Ancient formulas that bound the written world
schopenhauer Decode mysterious inkblots to discover the history of ink and the famous Rorschach test.
schopenhauer Iron Gall Ink
Wasp and iron, wasp and iron, burning holes into the page! Wasp and iron, wasp and iron!
schopenhauer Roman emperors used a highly prized ink made from sea snails to sign imperial decrees.
Glossary
ink (noun)
A colored liquid or paste used for writing, printing, or drawing. Ancient Egyptians created some of the earliest formulas around 2500 BCE using soot and gum arabic.
A colored liquid or paste used for writing, printing, or drawing. Ancient Egyptians created some of the earliest formulas around 2500 BCE using soot and gum arabic.
Quiz
What natural substance did Egyptian scribes mix with charcoal to help their ink stick to papyrus?
Quiz
Around which year did scribes in ancient China and Egypt independently develop carbon-based inks?
Quiz
Which civilization used soot and hematite to write glyphs on wild fig bark paper called amatl?
Fun Fact
Scented inksticks: Ancient Chinese ink makers added musk and clove spices to their inksticks to mask the smell of animal glue and make writing a sensory experience.
Quiz
In ancient India, the durable black ink known as 'masi' was frequently used to write on what material?
Quiz
In the 4th century CE, what was the legal consequence for a common Roman citizen caught using Tyrian purple ink?
Quiz
What animal-derived binder did ancient Chinese ink makers mix with pine soot to form solid inksticks?
Quiz
Which part of the pine tree did ancient Chinese ink makers burn to collect the soot for their ink?
Gossip
Which ancient ink-making ingredient sounds the most unpleasant to work with?
Quiz
Which Mediterranean marine creature was harvested to produce the Roman imperial Tyrian purple ink?