Pigment Barrel
Description
This miniature barrel is thought to be an 18th century ‘writing kit’. Made out of bound pine staves, it has a removable stopper at either end. Its contents were analysed and shown to include gallic acid – one of the main components of gall ink, and a finely ground sand, known as 'Pounce' which was used for blotting ink to prevent smudging. A ship required a considerable amount of paperwork to keep her in good order. A constant supply of ink and blotting agent was therefore essential. Good quality iron gall ink didn’t fade in the light and was waterproof - a quality necessary in the wet conditions of a sailing ship. Captains, lieutenants, mates and midshipmen all had to keep individual logs and present them to the Admiralty before they could be paid’. Some of these logs required many copies and each had to be hand written separately.
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Object Detail
Diameter: 57mm (2 1/4")
Weight: (0.11kg)