The Leyden and Stockholm Papyri - University of Cincinnati

THE LEYDEN & STOCKHOLM PAPYRI
119. To Wash Raw Wool
The washing of raw wool is done in the following way. For a mina
of wool take 9 minas of Cimolian earth, 2 kotyles of vinegar, and
pour in water. Wash the wool therein and air thoroughly.
120. Examination of Dyestuffs
Heavy and dark blue wood is good, but the pure white and light
(kind) is not good. The examination of Syrian kermes. Take and
crush that which is the lightest and the most finely colored. The
black or white-spotted is, however, poor. Chew into pieces with natron
and dissolve up the finely colored. Pulverize the finest colored
madder and thus make the test. Purple-colored and fast archil is as
if snail-colored, but the white-spotted and black is – take notice –
not good. Now if you chew genuinely colored archil into pieces
then take and hold it in the hand (to examine it). Alum should be
moist and very white. That which contains saltiness is, however,
unsuitable. Concerning flowers of copper, that is suitable which
shows a dark blue color, a very green leek color or, in general, a
fiery fine color.
121. Dyeing Canusinian Wool
Boil, beforehand, in a leaden kettle 20 drachmas of krimnos, 8 or
else 12 drachmas of thistle, (and) 1 chus of water for 1 mina of
unmordanted wool. Then put the wool in, make a sample and it will
be Canusinian wool.
122. Dyeing of a Color
Take heat-dried quicklime and golden litharge, grind both substances
in an earthen vessel and stir up. Put the wool in, leave it
there a day and a night and the color will come up on it. You
should rinse it off with soap weed. When it has been rinsed and you
desire (to color) it further, then after the bath, dye it again in the
aforementioned dye liquor.
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