Leyden papyrus X

The Leyden Papyrus X ( Papyrus Leidensis X) together with the so-called Stockholm Papyrus ( Papyrus Graecus Holmiensis ) probably the oldest art technological source font with recipes for the production of paints and metal processing. The text is written in Greek and demotic language and dates back to Egypt in the late 3rd century or early 4th century AD.

Origin

Both papyri to have been discovered in the early 19th century in a cemetery near Thebes and arrived there with a larger collection of papyri in the possession of the Swedish vice-consul in Alexandria, Johann d' Anastasi.

One of the two papyri he left the Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, where he later got to the Victoria Museum of Egyptian Antiquities at the University of Uppsala.

The other of the two papyri was sold by d' Anastasi in 1828 with the larger part of the collection to the Dutch government and so came to the Leiden University Library.

Details

The Leyden Papyrus consists of ten leaves, 30 cm x 34 cm and folded lengthwise. It contains 16 pages described, each described with 28 to 47 rows. This is a copy of 101 recipes for the treatment of precious metals, imitation or forgery of precious metals, precious stones and pearls, purple for dyeing and for the production of textile and painting colors as well as gold and silver inks. A systematic order is not recognizable. The recipes are usually not very detailed and probably served only as a reminder for users who were already familiar with the treatment of these materials. The presentation is technical and practical oriented, without reference to naturphilosophischem or religious Vorstellungsgut alchemy.

Expenditure

  • Robert Halleux: Papyrus de Leyde, papyrus de Stockholm, fragments de recettes. Texts établi et traduction ( = Les alchimistes grecs. Vol. 1). Les Belles Lettres, Paris 1981, ISBN 2-251-00003-8
  • Conrad Leemans: papyri Graeci Musei antiquarii publici Lugduni - Batavi. Brill, Leiden 1843, pp. 197-259.
  • Earle Radcliffe Caley: The Leyden papyrus X: an English translation with letter notes. In: Journal of Chemical Education. Vol 3, No. 10, October 1926, pp. 1149-1166.
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