Ink Making

The Bhutanese made ink using soot and cow hide glue until the modern ink were imported from India. As soot was an important material for ink, the state imposed soot tax on some families. Soot is mixed with water and glue and stirred until it obtains the right texture. Such ink is used to write books, notes and letters for correspondence. The Bhutanese also used precious metal such as gold and silver as ink to write very special illuminated texts.