Mughal Bamboo arrow in SAMA

PjSingh · Post by **PjSingh** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:03 pm

Nice arrows Jack,I like the testors paints myself.The way the original gold paint was produced in India was by mixing gold leaf with gumarabica.I tried it and it works really well.

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:15 pm

PJ; Applying gold leaf is a profession by itself. I am just an amateur though have been doing it for years. The effect is regal. Grayson has arrows crested over gold. Have not tried that yet but will eventually.

Do you chop up the leaf before mixing? Please give a formula, technique. -j-

PjSingh · Post by **PjSingh** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:55 pm

The way they did it in the old days was by using gold dust mixed directly to the gum arabica which has been pounded to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle and then add a few drops of water to get it to a paintable consistency,or you can use terpentine or pine oil.On a funny note the ayurvedic doctors used to prescribe gumarabica for people effected with premature ej--------,lol.

PjSingh · Post by **PjSingh** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:52 am

was going over some of my notes and found that the basic formuls is powedered gum arabica and water mixed with the pigment to reach desired consistency and then the polish that was applied had pine oil and terpentine and shellac mixed in.some of the pigments used were onion skin for yellow,copper sulphate,rust,soot for black,made traditionaly as the japanese still do,ground saffaron for orange.These were the traditional things used and the domain of the rich as the paintings were done over long periods requiring many hours as well as the fact that the artists capable of doing them were usually under the employment of the king/maharajah/nawab and did nothing else other that the works comissioned by them.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:11 am

You can size the surface of the arrow with a thin coat of hide glue. This will make it easier for the paint to adhere and also aid in gluing on the fletching with an animal glue.

I have seen some evidence of a gesso base being used but I have not seen any analyses yet.

I am attaching some pictures from a recent visit to the Grayson Collection. One is of the shaftment of a highly decorated Ottoman arrow and the other is of three Indian arrows of the Moghul period.

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 1:32 am

Bede, the cock feather on the top of the ottoman war shaft, is it longer than the hen feathers?