How To Dye Wood, Bone and Horn by SunKat

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Any wood, bone, or horn you want to dye must lie for half a day in alum water, and then be allowed once more to dry. Then it should be dyed as follows:

 

 

To Dye a Green Color 
Take two parts verdigris, one third of sal ammoniac, grind it well together, and lay it in strong vinegar. In this vinegar lay the wood, bone or horn, and cover it tightly, and let it lie therein until it is green enough. 

this creates an acid solution of copper

Another Green 
Lay the wood, bone, or horn in a glass jar, and pour vinegar thereon which has verdigris mixed in it so that it is quite thick and not too thin. Cover it well and let it sit seven days under warm horse manure. If it is not green enough, let it stand longer.

 

 

Another Green
You can also do it in the same way as described above, verdigris mixed with vinegar. Lay the wood, bone or horn therein, let it stand the same amount of time, take it out and lay it for 18 days under hot horse manure, which is moist.

 

 

To Dye Red

If you would dye wood, bone, or horn red, you should take unslaked lime, pour rainwater thereon, let it stand overnight and in the morning sieve the clear portion through a cloth. Then take for one mass of water one loth of brasilwood sawdust, lay the bone, wood or horn therein, and let it boil well therein. But you must lay it in alum water beforehand.

 

 

To Dye Yellow 
Take the bark of apple trees, scrape the outer rough skin from it, keep the middle layer and cut it into small pieces. Pour water thereon, lay the wood, bone or horn therein, also put alum therein and let it boil well together.

 

 

To Dye Black 
Boil ground gall nuts in strong vinegar. Lay the wood, bone or horn therein, let it boil well together, take it out and lay it in egg white. Also add the juice of the outer shells of walnut, and let it boil once again.

 

 

To Soften Horn 
Take urine which has stood covered for four weeks, and put in a pound of unslaked lime and half as much weyd ashes, or ashes of wine lees, eight loth tartar and as much salt, and mix everything well together. Let it boil well, pour it then in a lye sack and let it run through twice. Keep this lye well covered, and when you want to soften horn, let it lye therein eight days and it will become soft. Or take poppy stems with their tops, burn them to ashes, make a lye from this, and let the horn boil therin.

 

 

To Make Horn Soft That It Can Be Worked Into Forms 
Take one pound of ashes used to make glass, a pound of unslaked lime, one mass of water, and let it boil together until two thirds is boiled off. Then stick a feather in and run it between the fingers; if the hairs come away, it is boiled enough. If not, let it boil longer. Let it clear and strain the top portion off. Then take small chips of horn, let it soften therin for two days, then smear your hands with oil and work the horn well between them till it is a paste, then put it into whatever form you wish.

 

 

Another of the Same [to make horn soft] 
Juice of the herb called in Latin marubium album, and celery juice, also juice from Millefolii herb, also radish juice, and celandine juice, also strong vinegar; mix it all together and lay the horn therein, and set it for seven days, well covered, under warm horse manure. Work with it then as is mentioned above.

 

 

To Pour Horn in Molds Like Lead 
Take weyd ashes and unslaked lime and make a strong lye therefrom. In this lye, lay chips of horn and let it boil well together until it is a paste. And whatever color you want to have, grind it and put it in and pour it as you will.