Spectroscopic analysis of pigments and inks in manuscripts. III. Old-Slavonic manuscripts with multicolored rubication

•16/17th century old-Slavonic manuscripts with multicolored rubications are studied.•Besides logwood and carbon black ink, several types of gall ink were identified.•Azurite and indigo as well as vermilion, minium and madder are found in colored inks.•Azurite, indigo, orpiment, vermilion, red lead, organic red pigment and organo-Cu complex are identified in ornaments.•Slight but characteristic differences in pigments and inks used, suggest different scriptoria.

Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and SEM-EDS were applied in characterization of pigments and inks in five old-Slavonic manuscripts: Kičevo Four Gospel (16th century), Zrze Four Gospel (16th/beginning of 17th century), Struga Four Gospel (beginning of 17th century), Kruševo Ochtoechos (second half of 15th century) and Psalter with rituals (beginning of the 16th century). The illuminations used in the first four manuscripts are in so called Balkan style characterized with interlaced rings and floral motifs, with rarely seen, multicolored rubication text: in Kičevo and Zrze Four Gospel manuscripts are written in four colored inks: black-brown, blue, red and purple-red while in Struga and Kruševo Ochtoechos manuscripts is black-brown, blue and red inks. Psalter with rituals is a manuscript from the same period, with typical rubication in red and was included in the study as standard form of manuscript. In addition to several types of gall ink identified as brown-black ink used in the manuscripts, carbon black ink and logwood ink were also identified. In colored inks, azurite or mixture of azurite and indigo were used as blue ink while vermilion or mixture of vermilion and red lead was used as red ink. Another, purple-red ink of organic nature was used as well. The pigments identified in ornaments are: azurite and indigo in blue colors, orpiment as yellow pigment, vermilion, red lead and organic red pigment as reds, while green pigment was identified as organo-Cu complex. Brown-black ink was used for framing the illuminations and illuminated initial letters and pure gold for gilding. In spite of similar style and pigments, slight but characteristic differences in pigments and inks used, suggest different scriptoria.