Bones Ink

March 2024

Foraged on Mass/Cass Ave Boston, MA.

I found these cooked, discarded bones on the street. They were rib bones and a vertebrae, pork maybe.

I grilled directly on an outdoor barbecue for 30 min. I then crushed the charred bones in a coffee grinder with a few teaspoons of powdered Gum Arabic. I then placed the fine powder in a bowl and added warm distilled water. I mixed with a marble pestle. It separated into black liquid and goopy solids.

I bottled the liquid and then scooped the remaining solids onto a glass slab and mulled in batches. This created a smooth ink, which I poured into the bottle. I repeated until all the solids were completely silky liquid.

I strained the liquid through and old flour sifter and re-mulled any remaining texture. I rebottled and added a preservative plus a few drops of wintergreen and clove essential oils.