Pounce, or sand, is a fine powder, most often made from powdered cuttlefish bone or sandarac resin, used both to dry ink and to sprinkle on a rough writing surface to make it smooth enough for writing. This was especially needed if the paper came unsized, lacking the thin gelatinous material used to fill the surface of the paper and make it smooth enough for writing with a quill or a steel nib. It was also used to prepare the surface when drafting with Rapidograph pens on mylar, a common drafting medium in the late twentieth century.
Facts
Partially Attested
OriginSandarac resin comes from the Tetraclinis articulata tree, native to northwest Africa with a notable presence in Southern Morocco's Atlas Mountains 1 Covers only the sandarac resin variant of pounce, not the cuttlefish bone variant, which has no located origin source Sources
1. Sandarac (Wikipedia)
Article, description of the source treeQuote, Article, description of the source tree
The tree, which may itself also be referred to as sandarac, is native to the northwest of Africa with a notable presence in the Southern Morocco part of the Atlas Mountains.
Dictionary.com: pounce definition
Dictionary.comIn Group: Pens, Inks and Writing Supplies, Definition entryQuote, In Group: Pens, Inks and Writing Supplies, Definition entry
a fine powder, as of cuttlebone, formerly used to prevent ink from spreading in writing, or to prepare parchment for writing.
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