material

Oak gall

Colors & materials

A tannin gall on oak, the classic source for iron-gall ink and some dark dyes. Not the finished iron-gall-ink alone, and not sumac.

Also known as Gallnut · Oak apple

  • Oak gall is used in Medicine.

    Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica lists oak-galls (κηκίς) among strongly astringent drugs for flux, ulcers, and related compounds. A named oak-gall in that handbook, not oak as the whole tree already seated in Pliny pharmacy and not iron-gall ink as a later writing craft alone.

    from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE

    used in · sourced · documented

  • Oak gall is used in Dye.

    Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica treats oak-galls among tannin materials that blacken and fix dark colors with iron as well as serving as drugs. A named oak-gall dye/tannin use in that handbook, not oak-gall-medicine-dioscorides as the astringent drug seat alone.

    from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE

    used in · sourced · documented

sources