[PROBLEMS] To provide: a black compound which is for use in ink-jet recording or writing utensils, is excellent in ozone resistance, light resistance, moisture resistance, and color rendering, and gives a recording fluid having satisfactory storage stability; and an ink composition containing the compound. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] The black compound is a trisazo compound represented by the following formula (1) or a salt thereof. (1) [In the formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represents hydrogen, carboxy, sulfo, hydroxy, a C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, or sulfo group optionally substituted by C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, an optionally carboxylated C.sub.1-4 alkoxy group, etc.; and A represents phenyl or naphthyl (provided that the phenyl and naphthyl groups may be substituted by halogeno, carboxy, sulfo, sulfamonyl optionally substituted by alkyl or phenyl, nitro, etc.).] ##STR00001##