Decorative Bindings: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 19:40, 26 November 2018
Introduction
The binding of a book can provide an incredible amount of information as to its intellectual purpose, historical and cultural context, as well as its ownership.
Origins
In order to better understand the implications of decorative bindings, it is important to first understand its origins. A method known as “stabbing” would lay the foundations of decorative bindings. It was a process in which cords were threaded through two or more holes that had been pierced near the inner edge. Often done for books of paper or papyrus, these cords would then be laced together. The main obstacle with this method was that the book did not open very well as the binding took up much of the inner margin. However, this practice of covering the sides and spine of the book, mainly to protect the book from time and wear, “laid the foundation of ornamental bindings” (Cyril 3).
The earliest example of decorative bindings was discovered in 1875. Made in A.D 55 Pompeii, a collection of small wooden tablets hollowed out on one side and filled with wax were found. Known an “pugillaria” or “diptychs,” they would sometimes include two or more leaves that were bound together by leather tongs or rings. In this way, they resembled the structure of the modern book. Around the 3rd-6th centuries, the diptych covers became more ornamental, often made of richly carved ivory as well as including portraits of the Roman consuls who ordered them.[1]
Images
Notes
- ↑ Cyril, Book, pg. 3.