How to dye wood, bone, and horn

20. How to dye wood, bone, and horn
Any wood, bone, or horn you wish to dye has to be immersed for one half day in alum-water and then be dried again; then dye as follows:

21. To dye a green color
Two parts verdigris, one third part sal ammoniac are well ground together; put this in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn in this vinegar; cover tightly and leave it in until it becomes sufficiently green.

Comment from Edelstein: "An acid solution of copper would give excellent dyeing and a good green color."

22. Another green
Place the wood, bone, or horn in a glass jar; pour thereon vinegar mixed with "Viride Grecum" [verdigris] SO that it is thick and not too thin from vinegar; cover well and place it for seven days under warm horse manure; if it should not be green enough let it stay therein some time longer.

23. Another one
Also you may make the same way as reported above verdigris and vinegar; immerse wood, bone, or horn; let it stay therein the same time, take it out, and put it under warm horse manure, which has to be quite moist.

Comment from Edelstein: "This is another slight modification of the use of an acetic acid solution of copper to dye or stain the alum-mordanted wood, bone, or horn. Actually, this solution could be used for staining without having the material previously treated with alum."

24. To dye red
If you wish to dye wood, bone, or horn red, take some unslaked lime, pour some rain water on the lime, let stand overnight; then strain the clear portion through a piece of cloth, take for one "mass" of the water one loth grated brasilwood; immerse the wood, bone, or horn therein and bring to the boil, but take care to have it first soaked in alum-water.

25. To dye yellow
Take the bark of an apple tree, scrape off the outer rough skin, keep the middle layer, and cut it into small pieces; pour water on these, immerse the wood, bone, or horn in it; add some alum and let all boil well together.

Comment from Edelstein: "The bark of apple trees has long been known by country people as a source of yellow or brown dye for many things. The solution would undoubtedly give
a dull yellow color."

26. To dye black
Boil ground gallnuts in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn and let it boil well; take it out and put it in the white of an egg; add also the juice of the outer shells of walnut and let boil again.

Comment from Edelstein: "Missing here are added iron salts, which would give the best blacks. The juice of walnut shells usually furnishes a blackish brown; but if the alum to mordant the material contained some iron as an impurity (and this was usual), then the formula would give a good black."

27. To make horn soft
Take the urine of a man which has stood covered for four weeks, and one pound of unslaked lime and half the amount of willow ashes or ashes of wine lees, eight loth tartar and the same amount of salt; mix well together and bring to the boil; pour it into a filter bag and let it run twice through; keep this lye well covered. When you want to make horn soft, immerse the horn material therein for eight days, then it will become soft; or take stems from poppies together with their top parts, burn to ashes and make a lye of this, and let the horn boil therein.

28. To soften horn so much that it can be worked into forms
Take one pound of the ashes used in making glass; one pound unslaked lime, one "mass" water, allow to boil together until two thirds are evaporated, then stick a feather in and squeeze it between two fingers; if the hairs come off, the boiling has been enough, otherwise let boil longer; let it clarify and pour off, put in small chips of horn and let soften for two days, smear oil on your hands and the horn to make a paste and press it into what you wish.

29. Another recipe of the same kind
Juice of the herb called in Latin marubium album, and juice of celery, also juice from milfoil, also radish juice, and celandine juice, also strong vinegar; and immerse the horn in this and put it covered well under warm horse manure for seven days, then work it as above.

30. To pour horn in molds like lead
Take willow ashes and unslaked lime, make a strong lye therefrom and immerse in this lye chips of horn; let it boil well together so it becomes a paste. Whatever color you want to have it, grind the color and mix in and cast it as desired.

Many of these recipes were from translated middle German to middle English in the Secretes of the Revered Master Alexis of Piemont (see previous post).


From the Allerley Matkel (1532) by Sidney Edelstein, Technology and Culture, Vol 5 no 3 (Summer 1964), pp. 297-321 - includes the original facsimile text with a translation and discussion.