Science reveals biblical rainbow

The Washington Times ^ | 5/17/05 | Jennifer Harper

[wagglebee]

Azurite, cinnabar, malachite, verdigris, carbon: These are the true colors of the Bible -- the Gutenberg Bible, that is.

For the first time in 600 years, the world has become privy to the mysterious substances used to illustrate the rare volumes of God's word produced by the German printer Johann Gutenberg circa 1454.

It took a pair of enterprising researchers with a delicate touch to isolate the composition of the nine colors -- painstakingly concocted by unknown artists from such substances as precious metals and minerals, ground chalk, copper, plants and even insects.

Gregory Smith, an artifact conservation specialist at Buffalo State College in New York, and Robin Clark, a chemist with the University College of London, managed to collect tiny fragments of paint tucked in the inner margins of the King George III copy of the Gutenberg Bible at the British Library.

Using a process called Raman spectroscopy, the two sent a tiny laser beam into the paint bits and on a few selected pages of the Bible. By analyzing resultant characteristic light patterns, they identified the chemicals that enlivened decorative letters or intricate drawings of flora and fauna.

[wagglebee]

"What is surprising is that this core knowledge of pigment composition had not until now been established, bearing in mind the colossal amount of art historical research which has been carried out on Gutenberg Bibles over the past six centuries," Mr. Clark said. I had always thought it was just regular ink.

[wagglebee]

GGG ping

[SteveMcKing]

Nothing in the world like lead-based paints. If only kids wouldn't chew on it or breath the dust....

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Waggs.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[rdl6989]

[WorkingClassFilth]

Hmmm...if that is what the inks are composed of then that answers a lot of questions I have about the cost of replacement cartridges for my printer.

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Interesting history. Thanks for posting this article.

[Flyer]

Squishing bugs is very labor intensive. I think that is where most of the cost is.

[AFPhys]

Congratulations to these researchers.

A job well done.