Leaves of Gold
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Slide Show | How Manuscripts Were Made
 Teacher Introduction | Manuscript Templates
When Books Were Rare and Beautiful
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Glossary: Medieval Manuscript Terms

The Apothecary

writing and painting materials
The apothecary was the person who prepared the raw materials and other ingredients used to make pigments or paint. The pigment came from many sources such as plants, stones, and insects. The illuminator purchased the raw materials from the Apothecary and then crushed them into a powdered form. The powdered pigments were mixed with egg white, or egg glair, to make a liquid paint that would dry permanently on the page.

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The Parchmenter | The Stationer or Bookseller I | The Apothecary | The Scribe | Scripts | The Artist/Illuminator | The Stationer or Bookseller II | Bibliography

 

 

 

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Leaves of Gold is a collaborative exhibition organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries. All materials on this site are copyright 2000-2002 the Philadelphia Museum of Art except as indicated herein.