Cinnabar Paste, archival?

[Newt_on_Swings]

I was looking into getting a stamp to mark the back of my prints for the ease of it and it being more unique. When looking at custom stamps, Chinese chop seals stood out as an interesting piece of art work and tool at the same time. Traditionally they are inked with a cinnabar paste. Is cinnabar paste made today archival? Or are there archival types that would not damage a silver gelatin print down the line in storage? Looking at seals from archeological finds the cinnabar seems to remain clear and vibrant when applied to art work from hundreds of years ago. Does anyone here use one? Or can comment on its longevity or reactivity to prints and papers?

 

[MDR]

The problems with many stamps is the bleed trough and not that the aren't stable for a long time. If use your seal on the front outside the image area it would be better and really give an artist statement. Bleed troughs from the back to the front are unattractive.

 

[factus10]

Cinnabar paste is made from mercuric sulphide, which has the remote possibility of interacting with the silver in the print. The binder is castor oil. The paste/ink doesn't bleed through rice paper but you'd definitely want to test it with your preferred paper. Most photographic papers are not make with the anticipation that there'll be any soluble inks on the back side, so there aren't likely to be any 'blocking' layers between the back surface and the back of the silver layer.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I seriously doubt that you can get real cinnabar paste as it is made from the mineral ore cinnabar which is mercury II sulfide. It is very toxic. Perhaps you can get a non-toxic pigment to replace it.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Thank you all for the input. I guess this isn't the best choice of inking medium. It's so strange that it's been used for so long and on so many documents and pieces of art. It's also very hard to figure out the make up of many of the brands of the paste today when googling. I am not sure they even contain cinnabar or even the correct mixture with silk instead of plant fiber.

 

[MDR]

Cinnabar used in paste or other binding painting mediums is not dangerous as it is non water soluable (even in the paranoid EU you can buy real cinnabar paste without Problems, I wouldn't advice to lick or eat it though). The original stamps on Chinese and Japanes Watercolour of prove of it archival Quality but I wouldn't put it in contatct with the Image. There are also other maybe better choices.