Thread by @ClaireBurridge3

**Newsflash #MedievalTwitter**

'Inks and Paints of the #MiddleEast: A Handbook of #Abbasid Art Technology', @joumajnouna's new book, is AMAZING! 🎨🖌️📖

And here's why: a thread touching on #Manuscripts, #MedievalMedicine, #GlobalMiddleAges, etc. (1/12)

Note: this informative, accessible (and, extra bonus, beautiful) handbook is a good read for historians of all periods - not just medievalists! - but it's especially relevant for medievalists, archaeologists, conservators, artists, material scientists, etc. (2/12)

And it should be essential reading for anyone working on/interested in:
- Manuscript studies #Manuscripts
- History of medicine & pharmacy #MedievalMedicine #MedMed #HistMed
- The transfer of knowledge/movement of substances in a global context #GlobalMiddleAges

Why? (3/12)

The book provides a close look at the materials & craft processes that went into producing inks & paints + instructions to give it a go yourself! This type of info is hugely important for understanding the production of #manuscripts & has big implications *beyond* the mss (4/12)

The insights gained from the hands-on experience of recreating historical techniques is invaluable - many research teams (like @ercb2c) are now incorporating experimental elements into their projects to develop a better understanding of past craft processes (5/12)

In addition to the book's detailed presentation of the materials involved in producing inks/paints & instructions for their preparation, @joumajnouna's thoughtful consideration of technical terminology + questioning of earlier translations of Arabic texts is noteworthy (6/12)

Translation/interpretation is a big challenge for historians of medicine, pharmacy, science, cooking, & other fields involving the transmission of technical knowledge - knowledge that often used a specialist vocabulary that evolved over time (7/12)

In translating & interpreting such technical writings, @joumajnouna shows the importance of having both linguistic fluency AND direct experience with/knowledge of the topic - check out her many shocking corrections of Levey's 1962 text for a stark contrast! (8/12)

Personally, as a historian of #EarlyMedieval medicine, I found this book beyond exciting 🤩

The parallels between the ingredients used in recipes for inks/paints and medical recipes are *striking* - I've seen most substances listed in this book in medical contexts (9/12)

That such direct parallels can be found between Carolingian medical texts & recipes from the Abbasid Caliphate raises questions regarding the transfer of knowledge, the potentially multipurpose nature of these recipes, & the possible movement of the ingredients they list (10/12)

And these topics highlight the interconnectivity of the medieval world, reminding us of the importance of studying medieval history within a global context - the #GlobalMiddleAges 🌍🌏🌎 (11/12)

So #MedievalTwitter, if you're looking to get your hands on a copy of 'Ink & Paints of the Middle East', you can find it below 👇
majnouna.com

And all that's left to say is: BIG thanks to @joumajnouna for producing this terrific handbook! (12/12)