Basra: Lead (II) Oxide Makers

Date: 985-91

In his Aḥsan al-taqāsīm fi maʿrifat al-aqālīm, al-Muqaddasi (d. 991) mentioned that al-murdāsīnj was made in Basra. Al-murdāsīnj (i.e. lead [II] oxide) is an Arabized word from Persian, meaning ‘malignant stone.’ This is a yellow substance that can be employed in the manufacture of glass and glazes for ceramics. See also: Verdigris Maker; Cinnabar Maker; Potter; Glass Worker.

Citation: Muqaddasi, Muhammad ibn Ahmad. Aḥsan al-taqāsīm fi maʿrifat al-aqālīm (Cairo: Maktabat Madbili, 1991), vol. 3, p. 128.

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