On the Making of Local Paper

Abstract

The present article examines and provides a translation of a thirteenth century recipe for papermaking. The recipe in question originated in Yemen and constitutes the second hitherto discovered description of paper manufacture in the Arabic language. Just as the first recipe contained in the work of Ibn Bâdîs (d. 454/1062), this recipe represents a chapter from a manuscript of al-Mukhtara'fî funûn min al-ṣuna'attributed to al-Malik al-Muẓaffar (d. 694/1294). It describes the making of paper from the bark of fig trees, as opposed to hemp or flax (or their products) mentioned in Ibn Bâdîs's 'Umdat al-kuttâb and other Arabic medieval sources.