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Medieval manuscript book binding in ireland12/14/2023 ![]() ![]() A scribe producing a book for his own library may be less attentive than one that worked in a monastic community. The quality of the page also had a lot to do with preparation. Paris Bible, The Hague, Royal Library, MS 132 F 21, mid 13th century Perfect SkinĪn example of high-quality parchment. We can still see these defects today, which appear as tiny holes, gaps or dark patches as we read Saint Jerome or Chaucer. Some cows loved to rub against trees while others were particularly prone to insect bites. Like people today, not all medieval creatures had perfect skin. The quality of parchment sheets varied considerably. Like a physician today, the book historian can make a diagnosis by observing it carefully. There is a lot you can tell from medieval skin. ![]() Parchment was introduced in late antiquity, when the codex (a book made of double leaves), was born and started to replace the papyrus scroll. The skin of animals (calves, goats, sheep) was turned into parchment, which was subsequently cut into sheets. What was frolicking in the meadow one month, may have been a page in a Bible the next. Join 4,185 other subscribers.Parchment (the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)Ĭonstantinus Africanus, Liber Pantegni, 11th century, parchment, The Hague, Royal Library, MS 73 J 6 Parchmentįor much of the Middle Ages dead cows were the main ingredient for books. The current binding will hopefully protect the precious contents into the next millennium. The information recorded during the disbinding phase will help us better understand how this small ‘pocket gospel’ might have looked when it was first produced in central Ireland in the eighth century. The finished structure opens with ease and with minimum strain on the thousand year-old vellum folia and the pigments and ink applied to their surface. A dropback box designed to apply slight pressure to the closed binding will keep the manuscript in optimum condition. In addition, a chemise made from linen, similar in form to the modern dust jacket, was sewn up and this will help keep the cover clean. 4 The new binding in alum tawed calfskin. In order to attach the covering leather to the spine of the manuscript a secondary endband combined with a primary stitch through the cover was sewn at the head and tail using two coloured threads. The binding was then allowed to settle and dry under light weight. The manuscript was covered, stretching the leather over the boards and turning in over the edges. Starch paste was applied over the surface of the leather apart from the spine. The white alum tawed leather was prepared with the minimum of paring using the full thickness of the skin where possible. 3 Sewing cords laced into channels cut in the board. ![]() Like the sewing, this work also emulates methods employed in early medieval book making. ![]() Channels were cut into their inner surface and the sewing supports and endband cores were laced on to give a very robust mechanical attachment between the text block and binding boards. The next stage was the attachment of the new cushioned ‘blue jean’ binding boards. The endband thread was passed through a vellum ‘slotted spine’ which protects the backfolds of the quires and gives some resistance to the opening characteristics of the manuscript. Once the manuscript was sewn it was removed from the frame and endbands were sewn at the head and tail with the same cabled linen cord as the endband. 2 Sewing MS 59 employing techniques practiced for centuries. The sewing needle was modified by bending the shaft to allow an easier transition between the cords.įig. At the changeover point it passed into the next quire and the process was repeated travelling in the opposite direction. The linen thread was passed into the centre fold of each quire and out and around each of the double linen cord sewing supports. The sewing commenced with the new front vellum flyleaf followed by each of the six quires of the text block and finally the new back flyleaf. The cords were fabricated by cabling unbleached linen thread to the required thickness. The traditional sewing frame was set up with the new linen cords attached and tensioned. The opportunity was taken to photograph the backfolds prior to sewing as valuable clues to previous bindings visible at this stage would be again hidden once the manuscript was resewn and bound. As was detailed in the previous blog we carefully planned in advance the rebinding of MS 59 once the extensive additional repairs to the brittle and damaged vellum of the backfolds had been carried out. ![]()
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