The Voynich Ninja

So we knew from the original report and Joseph Barabe's Zoom talk the the ink binder isn't gum arabic

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Beyond saying, "Infrared spectroscopy identified the binding medium of the writing and drawing inks as a gum; see the reference spectrum for gum Arabic (Figure 1D). The spectra include several sharp peaks in the region 1100-1000 cm-1 that are not expected for a gum as per the spectra in our library. This suggests the possibility of other constituents, which remain unidentified as of this date. Most recipes for iron gall inks include gum, usually gum Arabic, as an ingredient." the report doesn't attempt to further identify which gum was used. 

A number of sources including the physical findings essay in the Yale facsimile volume identify cherry gum as a substitute used for gum arabic in iron gall inks. Comparing the cherry gum FTIR spectum from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. with the spectrum from Sample 16 (drawing black ink) in the McCrone report, my (openly admittedly untrained) impression is that it looks like a credible candidate:

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Anyone interested in crowdsourcing trying to identify other candidates?

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. may be of some help in narrowing down candidates.

If we assume the VM came from an amateurish and not exactly wealthy background, it's not far fetched that the creator(s) chose DIY approaches over commercial ingredients like Gum Arabic. Cherry or plum gum would fit into this picture, as well as the overall unusual ink composition.

I've never worked with FTIR so I don't know how age and reaction with other ink components modifies the spectrum compared to a pure and fresh binding agent. But this should probably be taken into account.

(16-03-2026, 09:47 AM)Bernd Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.If we assume the VM came from an amateurish and not exactly wealthy background, it's not far fetched that the creator(s) chose DIY approaches over commercial ingredients like Gum Arabic. Cherry or plum gum would fit into this picture, as well as the overall unusual ink composition.

But don't forget that there is no good evidence that the colorpaint are contemporaneous with the text, while there is some evidence (the page number covered by green paint) that the color paints are quite a bit later. 

Still, I share the feeling that the Painter too was a (rather sloppy) amateur who improvised his paints.  The McCrone report apparently says so for the green paint.  His blue paint uses azurite, a standard blue mineral; but it does not seem to be finely ground (as a paint pigment should be), and it seems that he mixed it with some dark substance that failed to dry out, collected along the edges of the painted area, and then left dark stains ("offsets") on the facing pages.   

All the best, --stolfi

Wait, I thought the FTIR spectra were from the ink of the text, not coloration?
But I agree the colors also hint to a more amateurish approach than a professional workshop

(16-03-2026, 08:37 PM)Bernd Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Wait, I thought the FTIR spectra were from the ink of the text, not coloration?

I don't know what Joe Barabe showed during the talk, but in his report there are spectra of both.