"The Tanners of Wrotham Manor 1400-1600" by Semple (2006)

Semple, Jayne; “The Tanners of Wrotham Manor 1400-1600”, Archaeologia Cantiana 126 (2006) 1-25
URL

Abstract:

This paper describes the trade of tanning and the lives of the tanners in the manor of Wrotham in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The manor stretched from the North Downs along the valley of the river Bourne into the Weald and was divided into six boroughs. Tanning took place in four of them; Nepicar, Winfield, Hale and Roughway.

Pergamentmacher, 1425, Die Hausbücher der Nürnberger Zwölfbrüderstiftungen

Cabinet with painted leather (doors), Philip Webb and Edward Burne-Jones,1861, The MET Museum of Art

"Philip Webb and Sir Edward Burne-Jones: Cabinet (26.54)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/26.54 (October 2006)

“Las encuadernaciones mudéjares de lacerías con motivos centrales en la Catedral de Toledo” por Carpallo Bautista y Burgos Bordonau (2012)

Carpallo Bautista, A.; Burgos Bordonau, E.; “Las encuadernaciones mudéjares de lacerías con motivos centrales en la Catedral de Toledo”, Anales de Documentación 15(1) (2012) 1-30

DOI:10.6018/analesdoc.15.1.138811 / PDF

Resumen:

Dentro de la historia de la encuadernación española destaca el florecimiento del estilo mudéjar entre los siglos XIII y XVI, sobre todo en la península ibérica, sobresaliendo los trabajos realizados en algunas ciudades como Toledo. La Biblioteca Capitular de la Catedral de Toledo dispone uno de los grupos más importantes de España, cuantitativa y cualitativamente, aunque su estado de conservación no es el más adecuado en muchos de los ejemplares. El presente trabajo pretende estudiar y analizar los diferentes tipos de encuadernaciones mudéjares con lacerías, tipo de decoración muy propio de ciudades como Toledo, Salamanca y Barcelona. Se han estudiado las estructuras decorativas y los elementos artísticos empleados, las técnicas de decoración y de construcción, así como los materiales utilizados en la elaboración, con lo que hemos podido establecer el origen o procedencia de cada encuadernación en función de la estructura decorativa, de los motivos decorativos individuales, de las filigranas de las guardas originales y del tipo de cabezadas.

Abstract:

The Mudejar style between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries in the Iberian Peninsula is specially remarkable, within the history of the Spanish bookbinding, outstanding some of the works done in the city of Toledo. The Capitular Library of Toledo’s Cathedral has one of the most important collections qualitatively and quantitatively speaking, though its state of preservation is not the best one in many of the items. This work pretends to study and analize the different kinds of mudéjar bookbindings with interlaces, a typical style of decoration of cities like Toledo, Salamanca and Barcelona. A study of the decorative structures, artistic elements, tecniques of decoration and construction has been done as well as the materials used for their making. With all these elements we have been able to establish the origin of each bookbinding according to its decorative structure, the individual decorative motifs, the watermark of the original flyleaves and the kind of tops.

"Identification of a white substance on 20th century leather bindings" by Pemberton and Nel (2008)

Pemberton, Briony; Nel, Petronella; "Identification of a white substance on 20th century leather bindings", AICCM Bulletin 31 (2008) 28-35

PDF

Abstract:

The aims of this investigation were to identify a white substance visible on the spines of leather-bound volumes titled Victorian Law Reports and to address any issues of concern. Initially, it was thought that it was a mold outbreak. However, preliminary examination using visual and microscopic methods ruled this out. An analytical path involving environmental scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), microchemical spot testing, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy determined that the white substance was composed of one or more fatty acids and possibly their respective calcium salts. In addition, this investigation provides a review of the available literature and an analytical path for identifying white bloom on leather-bound volumes.

Bookbinding in England and France by Fletcher (1897)

Fletcher, William Younger; Bookbinding in England and France, Seeley & Co., London (1897)
URL (Internet Archive)

Arte della Legatura a Brera, Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, Milano

Bookbinding 

Arte della Legatura a Brera  

Mostra virtuale - versione web
URL

Il sito è aperto dal 12 maggio 2002. Risultano consultabili le immagini di tutte le sezioni, ma le schede in lingua inglese sono disponibili solo in versione ridotta. Sono stati inseriti anche alcuni testi, tratti dal catalogo della mostra "Arte della legatura a Brera" e dai pannelli espositivi utilizzati per la stessa esposizione.
Oltre a una galleria d'immagini, con relativa scheda descrittiva, il sito potrà ospitare contributi, notizie, segnalazioni, attinenti alla storia e alle tecniche della legatura d'arte. La mostra Arte della legatura a Brera, in cui sono stati esposti 110 esemplari di legature italiane e di altre aree europee del Quattrocento e Cinquecento, oltre a 10 legature della Bibliotheca Colbertina possedute dalla Braidense e a vari strumenti e materiali utilizzati nell'arte della legatura, si è conclusa il 22 giugno 2002.

English version: Decorative bookbindings at the Brera (URL)

This website was created on May 12, 2002. Some texts from the exhibition catalogue, Arte della legatura a Brera, and the information panels on display at the Brera event are available for consultation on this website. An English version of all this was created, with reduced descriptive texts. Alongside a Gallery of captioned image files illustrating the Library's collections, this website will include, in time, contributions, reports, hints and tips, suggestions where a history and the techniques of decorative bookbinding are concerned. The exhibition, "The Art of Binding Books Through the 15th and 16th Centuries" housed 110 bindings from Italy and other European countries, along with 10 bindings from the Bibliotheca Colbertina and a host of instruments, tools and materials used in the art of binding books.

Deutsche Version: Einbände in Brera (URL)

Version française: Reliures d'art à Brera (URL)

“The conservation of nineteenth-century leather-covered willow baskets from Franconia/Bavaria” by Kotonski (2012)

Kotonski, Verena; “The conservation of nineteenth-century leather-covered willow baskets from Franconia/Bavaria”, Journal of the Institute of Conservation 35(1) (2012) 77-91

DOI:10.1080/19455224.2012.681292 (restricted access)

Abstract:

An unusual feature of nineteenth-century leather-covered baskets from Franconia (Bavaria) is the combination of materials used in their manufacture: willow skein basketry, leather and coloured parchment together with decoration, such as metal thread embroidery, thin leather straps and quills. This article presents the results of the detailed investigation into the technology and materials of four baskets from the folk art collection of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg. The inseparable nature of this combination of materials, once constructed, makes the conservation of this type of basketry especially challenging. The range of treatment options evaluated is discussed in detail as well as the constraints imposed by the composite nature of the baskets and by conflicting ethical considerations. The treatment strategy that was eventually decided upon reflected a constructive compromise between opposing needs.

Résumé:

“La conservation de paniers en osier recouverts de cuir du dix-neuvième siècle de la Franconie / Bavière”

Une caractéristique inhabituelle des paniers recouverts de cuir du XIXe siècle de Franconie (Bavière) est la combinaison des matériaux utilisés dans leur fabrication: la vannerie avec des écheveaux de saule, du cuir et du parchemin de couleur avec des décorations telles que des broderies de fil de métal, des lanières de cuir et des plumes. Cet article présente les résultats d'une enquête détaillée sur la technologie et les matériaux de quatre paniers de la collection d'art folklorique du musée national germanique de Nuremberg. Le caractère indissociable de cette combinaison de matériaux, une fois assemblés, rend la conservation de ce type de vannerie particulièrement difficile. La gamme des options de traitements étudiés est présentée en détail de même que les contraintes imposées à la fois par la nature composite des paniers et par des considérations éthiques contradictoires. La stratégie de traitement qui a finalement été décidée reflète un compromis constructif entre des besoins opposés.

Zusammenfassung:

,,Die Konservierung/Restaurierung lederbezogener Weidenkörbe aus Franken/Bayern des 19.Jahrhunderts“

Ein ungewöhnliches Merkmal der lederbezogenen Körbe aus dem Franken des 19. Jhds. ist die Kombination von Materialien, die bei ihrer Herstellung eingesetzt werden: Weidenstrangflechtwerk, Leder und gefärbtes Pergament in Kombination mit einer Dekoration aus Metallfadenstickerei, dünnen Lederstreifen und Kielen. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Ergebnisse einer detaillierten Untersuchung der Techniken und Materialien vierer Körbe in der Sammlung Volkskunst am Germanischen Nationalmuseum in Nürnberg. Die Konservierung bzw Restaurierung wird durch die Kombination von Materialien zu einer großen Herausforderung. Eine Reihe von Behandlungsmaßnahmen werden evaluiert und diskutiert, sowie die Einschränkungen, die sich aus der Materialkombination und aus sich widersprechenden ethischen Fragestellungen ergeben. Die Behandlungsstrategie, die schließlich gewählt wurde, reflektiert einen konstruktiven Kompromiss zwischen diesen verschiedenen Parametern.

Resumen:

“La conservación de cestas de mimbre del siglo XIX cubiertas de cuero y provenientes de Franconia/Bavaria”

Una característica inusual de la cestería del siglo XIX cubiertas de cuero y proveniente de Franconia/Bavaria es la combinación de materiales utilizados en su fabricación: la cesta de madeja de sauce, el cuero y el pergamino coloreado, junto con decoraciones como bordados con hilos de metal, tiras finas de cuero y el cañón de las plumas. Este artículo presenta los resultados de una minuciosa investigación sobre la tecnología y los materiales de cuatro cestas de la colección de arte popular del Museo Nacional Germánico de Nuremberg. La naturaleza inseparable de esta combinación de materiales, una vez construida, hace la conservación de este tipo de cestería especialmente compleja. Se discuten en detalle el rango de opciones de tratamiento y se discuten también las limitaciones impuestas por la naturaleza compuesta de las cestas y las consideraciones éticas que entran en conflicto. La estrategia de tratamiento que finalmente se decidió, reflejó un compromiso constructivo entre necesidades opuestas.

Introduction à l’histoire de la reliure française: XVe-XVIIIe siècles par Toulet (1973)

Toulet, Jean; Introduction à l’histoire de la reliure française: XVe-XVIIIe siècles, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (1973)

PDF

Leather mini-dress by Paco Rabanne, 1968, Victoria & Albert Museum

Cuir doré hangings in the Royal Ontario Museum by Cselenyi (1973)

Ladislav Cselenyi; Cuir doré hangings in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto (1973)
URL (Internet Archive)

From the text:
Like stone, wood, textile, metal, glass and other substances, leather has from time immemorial been used as a ground for painting. Such paintings are not to be confused with cuir doré, which usually consists of gilt leather pieces (or carrets) decorated by embossing, punching and painting.
The Royal Ontario Museum has acquired two important cuir dore wall hangings, the larger (PI. 1) 518.3 x 274.4 cm., the smaller (PI. 2) 265.5x266.8 cm. Mr. Heribert Hickl-Szabo, Curator of the European Department, discovered them in the possession of the Lindpaintner' family, from whom the ROM acquired them.

“Dead Sea Scrolls exhibitions around the world: reasons for concern” by Rabin and Hahn (2012)

Rabin, I.; Hahn, O.; “Dead Sea Scrolls exhibitions around the world: reasons for concern”, Restaurator 33 (2) (2012) 101–121

DOI: 10.1515/res-2012-0005 (restricted access)

Abstract:

The Dead Sea Scrolls that miraculously survived for over two thousand years suffered considerable damage due to various post-discovery interventions. Today they are subjected to frequent travelling exhibitions. The current work collates the published information on exhibitions and conservational treatments with the results of the analytic studies of the skin-based material of the scrolls conducted since their discovery. The examination of the properties of the scrolls proves that frequent travel, exhibitions and the associated handling induce collagen deterioration that is covered up by the absence of a proper monitoring program.

Zusammenfassung:

Die Schriftrollen vom Toten Meer, die 2000 Jahre überdauert haben, erlitten einen erheblichen Schaden durch Behandlungen nach ihrer Entdeckung. Heute werden sie häufig zu Ausstellungen ins Ausland transportiert. In diesem Beitrag werden die vorhandenen Angaben zu den konservatorischen Eingriffen und zu den Ausstellungen zusammengefasst mit den Ergebnissen der lang-jährigen natur-wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen von Pergament-ähnlichen Schreibunterlagen. Diese Studie weist darauf hin, dass die häufigen Reisen, die Ausstellungen, und die damit verbundenen Behandlungen, den Zerfall des Kollagens hervorrufen, der ohne geeignete Kontrolle unbemerkt fortschreitet.

Resumé:

Les Manuscrits de la Mer Morte qui ont survécu miraculeusement pendant plus de deux millénaires ont été sévèrement endommagés par les traitements auxquels ils ont été soumis après leur découverte. Aujourd’hui ils sont fréquemment transportés à l’étranger pour y être exposés. Cette étude expose les informations qui ont été recueillies sur les expositions et sur les différents traitements de restauration avec les résultats des analyses scientifiques effectuées sur les papiers parchemin et imitation parchemin. Cette étude met en évidence que les voyages fréquents, les expositions et les manipulations qui y sont associées provoquent la détérioration du collagène dont la progression risque de passer inaperçue en l’absence d’un programme de monitoring approprié.

Lacquered pigskin barber's bowl, China, c.1740, Victoria & Albert Museum

"Effects of isopropanol on collagen fibrils in new parchment" by Gonzalez et al (2012)

Gonzalez, L. G.; Hiller, J.; Terrill, N. J.; Parkinson, J.; Thomas, K.; Wess, T. J.; "Effects of isopropanol on collagen fibrils in new parchment", Chemistry Central Journal 6:24 (2012)
doi:10.1186/1752-153X-6-24 / PDF

Abstract:

Background: Isopropanol is widely used by conservators to relax the creases and folds of parchment artefacts. At present, little is known of the possible side effects of the chemical on parchments main structural component collagen. This study uses X-ray Diffraction to investigate the effects of a range of isopropanol concentrations on the dimensions of the nanostructure of the collagen component of new parchment.

Results: It is found in this study that the packing features of the collagen molecules within the collagen fibril are altered by exposure to isopropanol. The results suggest that this chemical treatment can induce a loss of structural water from the collagen within parchment and thus a rearrangement of intermolecular bonding. This study also finds that the effects of isopropanol treatment are permanent to parchment artefacts and cannot be reversed with rehydration using deionised water.

Conclusions: This study has shown that isopropanol induces permanent changes to the packing features of collagen within parchment artefacts and has provided scientific evidence that its use to remove creases and folds on parchment artefacts will cause structural change that may contribute to long-term deterioration of parchment artefacts. This work provides valuable information that informs conservation practitioners regarding the use of isopropanol on parchment artefacts.

Sandals, shoes and other leatherwork from the Coptic Monastery Deir el-Bachit by Veldmeijer (2012)

Veldmeijer, A.J; Sandals, shoes and other leatherwork from the Coptic Monastery Deir el-Bachit: Analysis and Catalogue, Sidestone Press, Leiden (2012)
URL (Sidestone)

Abstract:

The Coptic monastery and cemetery Deir el-Bachit stands on the hilltop of Dra’ Abu el-Naga, the well-known necropolis in Qurna (West Bank, Luxor). It is the largest Coptic monastery complex preserved in Western Thebes and the first monastery that has been systematically investigated. The excavation of the monastery was started as a DFG-Project des Ägyptologischen Instituts der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in close collaboration with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Abteilung Kairo.

Until the start of the investigations in 2001 with a survey, little research was done. After three seasons of preliminary research, full archaeological research was started in 2004. The leatherwork was studied in 2007, the present volume of which presents the results. The book consists of two parts: the analysis and a detailed catalogue, including colour images of all finds and, where necessary, line drawings. The finds are analysed within the framework of the excavation as well as within the frameworks of the Ancient Egyptian Leatherwork Project and the Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (www.leatherandshoes.nl).

Mumien in Museen von Bigna Ludwig (2006)

Bigna Ludwig, Mumien in Museen. Aspekte zu Besitz, ethischem Umgang, Konservierung und Ausstellung am Beispiel einer peruanischen Kindermumie aus den Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim, Diplomarbeit Institut für Restaurierungs- und Konservierungswissenschaft Fakultät Kulturwissenschaften der Fachhochschule Köln, 2006

URL

Kurzzusammenfassung:

Die Fragestellung zum ethisch korrekten Umgang mit Mumien in Museen, insbesondere bei Konservierung, Restaurierung, Lagerung und Ausstellung, wurde der Methodik der Angewandten Ethik folgend untersucht. Die Sichtweisen der unterschiedlichen Disziplinen, die einen beruflichen Umgang mit Mumien haben, wurden dargestellt. Eine ­Entscheidungsfindungsstrategie wurde entwickelt, die dem Konservator/Restaurator hilft, ein adäquates Maßnahmenkonzept zu erstellen. Als Grundlage diente das niederländische „Decision-Making-Model“ aus dem Bereich der Konservierung moderner Kunst. Die praktische Umsetzung der erarbeiteten Entscheidungsfindungshilfe erfolgte anhand einer peruanischen Kindermumie aus den Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim. Mit Hilfe der entwickelten Strategie wurde ein Maßnahmenkonzept erstellt. Vorgeschlagen wird eine passgenaue Lager- und Ausstellungsstütze aus biokompatiblem Material, hergestellt mittels rapid prototyping. Material und Technik kommen aus der Medizin und berücksichtigen somit das ehemalige Menschsein der Mumie.

Abstract:

Different professional disciplines are dealing with mummies in museums. They have different professional interests and different opinions about the correct way to deal with mummies. It’s important not only to know the ethical guidelines of one’s own profession but also to look at the situation from different points of view. Furthermore it was considered to be helpful to have a strategy for decision-making in conservation. The dutch “Decision-Making-Model“ for conservation of contemporary art was adapted to mummies in museums. It was then applied to a peruvian child mummy from the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, resulting in a conservation concept. Proposed was a storage and display mount fabricated with rapid prototyping technique from biocompatible material. This method is used in medical surgery and thus is taking account of the mummy’s original humanity.

"Use of Adhesives on Leather Discussion" (2003)

Consuela Metzger, Deborah Howe & Gillian Boal (moderators), "Use of Adhesives on Leather Discussion", The Book and Paper Group Annual 22 (2003) 99-104

PDF

Abstract:

This summary of the leather and adhesives discussion group covers the four presentations given, as well as the discussion points. A working bibliography on skin and hide follows the summary as appendix 1. Book conservation concerns were emphasized, but the topic brought together conservators from many specialty groups. Major topics addressed included: combination adhesive systems made from starch paste and synthetic adhesives; Lascaux 498HV and Lascaux 360HV; alcohol-remoistenable mending strips; and unmixed starch pastes. Also included are discussions of working methods for preparing and applying adhesives to new and deteriorated leather and mending strips. Many of the presentations and questions included the interrelated topics of leather consolidation and leather coatings, also of concern to a variety of conservation specialties.

“La producción y comercialización del guadamecí en Córdoba durante el siglo XVI” por Alors Bersabé (2011)

Alors Bersabé, Teresa María; “La producción y comercialización del guadamecí en Córdoba durante el siglo XVI”, Ambitos: revista de estudios de ciencias sociales y humanidades 25 (2011) 87-96

URL / PDF

Resumen:

La producción del guadamecí fue durante el siglo XVI una de las más importantes en la ciudad de Córdoba, lo que favoreció un incremento de los oficiales dedicados a esta labor, provocando favoreció la aparición de unas Ordenanzas muy específicas que regularon el gremio de guadamecileros. Este estudio pretende mostrar los rasgos característicos de esta industria durante dicha etapa, incluyendo los factores favorecedores que permitieron su apogeo, así como los gustos de una sociedad que demandaba cada vez más este tipo de trabajo en cuero.

Abstract:

Guadameci’s production was, during the XVI century, one of the most important for the city of Cordoba, which caused an increase of skilled workers dedicated to this work and led to the emergence of specific ordinances for the regulation of the guadamecileros’s guild. This study aims to show the characteristics of this industry during that period, including the predisposing factors that enabled its peak and the tastes of a society that increasingly demand this type of leather work.

"Gilt leather/guadameci in Coimbra..." by Pereira (2012)

Pereira, Franklin; “Gilt leather/guadameci in Coimbra – comments on documents of the 12th and 16th centuries”, Boletim do Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra 25 (2012) 169-180

PDF

Resumo:

Entre vários tipos de calçado, as posturas municipais de Coimbra, de 1145, referem botas em couro dourado/”gudemiciz”; parece ser esta a primeira referência aos guadamecis no reino de Portugal, e em particular numa cidade recentemente reconquistada ao domínio muçulmano. Em finais do século XVI, vários documentos da Universidade de Coimbra referem cobertas de parede, coberta de mesa e guardaportas, tudo fabricado por um guadamecileiro. Esta documentação leva-nos numa viagem às modas mudéjares e medievais onde o guadameci se encontrava.

Abstract:

Amidst different footwear, the taxes of Coimbra, dated from 1145, refer boots made in gilt leather/“gudemiciz”; it seems this is the first reference to gilt leather in the kingdom of Portugal, and in particular in a city recently conquered from the Muslims. In late 16th century, several documents of Coimbra University refer wall hangings, a table cover and large door frames made by a maker of gilt leather. These historic data take us into a journey of mudejar and medieval fashions where gilt leather was a part.

Pocket book covered with sharkskin, ca.1680, Victoria & Albert Museum

Fish skin grain layer: "lixa", sharkskin

Definition of sharkskin in Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the conservation of books: A dictionary of descriptive terminology, 1982

URL

"Les techniques et le commerce de la tannerie à Montréal au XVIIIe siècle" par Perrier (2000)

Perrier, Jocelyne; “Les techniques et le commerce de la tannerie à Montréal au XVIIIe siècle", Scientia Canadensis: Canadian Journal of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine / Scientia Canadensis: revue canadienne d'histoire des sciences, des techniques et de la médecine 24 (2000) 51-72

URL / PDF

Resumé:

Les travaux sur des groupes d’artisans canadiens pratiquant le même métier ou des métiers dans le même secteur de transformation, à l’époque préindustrielle, ont montré la diversité des caractéristiques socio-économiques des individus les composant. Les historiens se sont peu penchés sur l’aspect marchand du travail de l’artisan. Or, l’étude de la pratique d’un métier artisanal doit inclure l’analyse de son commerce, puisque la propriété des moyens de production est l’un des facteurs déterminants de la hiérarchie interne des groupes d’artisans. Dans cet article, nous présentons d’abord le contexte dans lequel était pratiqué le métier de tanneur à Montréal au XVIIIe siècle. Nous décrivons ensuite le tannage, une technique complexe et longue, et le commerce de la tannerie, qui exigeait de son propriétaire des assises financières solides. À l’aide de nombreuses sources documentaires, nous avons suivi les individus tout au long de leur cycle de vie et mis en lumière le rôle joué par leur famille.

Abstract:

Studies of artisans in pre-industrial French Canada have demonstrated the diversity in the socio-economic characteristics of people working the same trade, or trades within the same sector. Historians, however, have been less interested in the merchant aspects of the artisan's life. The study of artisans should address the ownership of the means of production, because it is one of the many factors that have determined the internal hierarchy amongst artisans. This article will explore the context in which the tanning trade was practiced in eighteenth-century Montreal. Furthermore, it will analyze the long and intricate process of tanning and the demanding characteristics of the trade, which required tanners to have a strong financial base. With the use of various sources we are able to follow the lives of several individual tanners and shed light upon the role of their families.

Satchel made from crocodile skin, early 20th century, The MET Museum of Art

Nouveau manuel complet du chamoiseur,.... par Julia de Fontenelle (1841)

Julia de Fontenelle, J. S. E.; Manuels-Roret: Nouveau manuel complet du chamoiseur, pelletier-fourreur, maroquinier, mégissier et parcheminier, La Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris (1841)

URL (Google Books)

The Great Parchment Book Blog

The Great Parchment Book

http://greatparchmentbook.wordpress.com/

This blog records the project to conserve, digitally reconstruct, transcribe and publish the manuscript known as the Great Parchment Book. Led by London Metropolitan Archives, the project includes contributions from Derry City Councils Heritage and Museum Service, University College London (UCL EngD VEIV Centre in collaboration with UCLDH) and the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London.

The Project

The Great Parchment Book consists of 165 separate parchment pages, all of which suffered damage in the fire in 1786. Due to its fragile state, it has not been accessible to readers since this date. The uneven shrinkage and distortion caused by fire has rendered much of the text illegible. The surviving 165 folios (including fragments and unidentified folios) are stored in 19 boxes, loosely tied into bundles drawing together as far as possible the passages dealing with the particular lands of different livery companies and of the Society. Much of the text is still visible (if distorted) and requires flattening and digital imaging to improve legibility and to enable digital access to the volume.

In the course of surveying the Irish Society’s collection with a view to contributing loans to Derry’s upcoming exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the building of the City walls in 2013, it was decided to investigate the possibility of conserving the Great Parchment Book. It soon became apparent that traditional conservation alone would not produce sufficient results to make the manuscript accessible or suitable for exhibition. 

However, the importance of the item led us to explore other ways of opening up access to the text. A partnership with the Department of Computer Science and the Centre for Digital Humanities at University College London (UCL) established a four year EngD in the Virtual Environments, Imaging and Visualisation programme in September 2010 (funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and LMA) with the intention of developing software that will enable the manipulation of digital images of the book rather than the object itself. The aim is to make the distorted text legible, and ideally to reconstitute the manuscript digitally. If successful, such a methodology clearly has much wider potential application.

To make the digitisation process as successful as possible, preliminary limited but crucial conservation treatments will be carried out. Obscured areas of parchment, where the camera cannot reach the text, will be opened out as far as possible. Also, as part of the conservation project, the format and condition of the book will be investigated and thoroughly documented. Advice has been given by Collections Care staff at The National Archives and the British Library, and LMA is a member of the Improved Damage Assessment of Parchment network (IDAP). LMA is grateful to the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust for providing funding for the conservation work.

The overall scheme is a large collaborative undertaking in which the practical conservation of the Great Parchment Book is the essential first step. Once the book has been treated, then the UCL research project can produce high quality 3-D digital images from which a transcription and glossary can be drawn.  The project is being supported by Derry City Council, as well as the Irish Society itself, and it is hoped that the book will play a significant role in the 2013 events marking the 400th Anniversary in Derry. The digital image and transcription will provide a lasting resource for historians researching the Plantation of Ulster in local, national and international contexts. The scheme thus represents a major partnership of international significance between a number of institutions. 

(Text available from the blog)

Leather bucket found on board of the Mary Rose, 16th century

The Mary Rose official website
http://www.maryrose.org/

Conservazione ed il restauro di calzari pontificali con arabesco (Museo della Spiritualità) presso l’ISCR

Conservazione ed il restauro di calzari pontificali con arabesco, Museo della Spiritualità, Castel Sant'Elia, presso l'Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR), Roma

URL

Presentazione:

Questi sandali pontificali fanno parte del significativo insieme di 29 paramenti liturgici, recentemente restaurati presso l’ISCR, provenienti da Castel S.Elia (VT). Rispetto alle altre due paia di calzari appartenenti al medesimo complesso, ed anche in confronto con sandali pontificali esistenti in diverse collezioni europee, questi appaiono singolarmente ben conservati; di particolare pregio sono inoltre la qualità formale e la ricchezza decorativa. La necessità di restaurare questi oggetti ha offerto al Laboratorio manufatti in cuoio l’occasione per affrontare in modo approfondito le problematiche conservative delle calzature.

La fabbricazione è probabilmente avvenuta in una bottega artigiana del XIII secolo dell’Italia meridionale, e precisamente siciliana, attingendo alla tradizione manifatturiera islamica. Tuttavia non sembrano esservi elementi, allo stato attuale delle conoscenze, che consentano di confermare con certezza tale ipotesi. Sebbene nella letteratura esistente vi siano dei riferimenti alla manifattura delle pelli e del cuoio, essi rimandano quasi esclusivamente alla legatura, arte fiorente per diversi secoli a causa dell’importanza attribuita al libro sacro, il Corano. Si ritiene peraltro in linea generale che le tecniche di decorazione del cuoio si siano sviluppate principalmente nel Vicino Oriente, e che la loro diffusione in Occidente si avvenuta soltanto in un momento successivo.

Il sandalo pontificale costituisce una particolare tipologia di calzatura liturgica, utilizzata durante alcune cerimonie religiose, come la messa pontificale. A queste calzature cerimoniali fu attribuito il nome sandalia probabilmente nel IX o X secolo; esse divennero parte distintiva dell’abbigliamento liturgico del vescovo intorno al X secolo. Ne sono giunti fino a noi diversi esempi databili al XII-XIII secolo, accomunati da una foggia particolare che, secondo alcuni, rappresenterebbe un’evoluzione formale della tipologia di calzatura romana detta campagus. Questa era una scarpa aperta assicurata al piede mediante un sistema di lacci e indossata generalmente dall’aristocrazia o dagli ufficiali dell’esercito; tale tipologia si sarebbe modificata nel tempo divenendo una calzatura alta fino alla caviglia.

Si desidera ringraziare la restauratrice Federica Moretti che, oltre ad aver partecipato in fase di restauro alle operazioni di pulitura, consolidamento e correzione delle deformazioni, ha eseguito la documentazione grafica e molte delle immagini fotografiche che documentano l'intervento.

"Investigation of acid-deterioration in leather leading towards finding a suitable product for treatment” by Lama (2011)

Anne Lama, “Investigation of acid-deterioration in leather leading towards finding a suitable product for treatment”, 114th SLTC Conference 2011, University of Northampton, Northampton, 7 May 2011

URL (Video and powerpoint of the presentation)

I Mestieri del Cuoio e della Pelle, il sito web di Vincenzo Caniglia

I Mestieri del Cuoio e della Pelle website, di Vincenzo Caniglia

URL

Presentazione:

La scelta di un nome troppo lungo (imestieridelcuoioedellapelle) più che una scelta è stata una necessità dettata dalla convinzione che le parole cuoio e pelle sono legate al concetto di mestiere. Mestiere è un’arte meccanica, fisica, manuale che si esercita per produrre un manufatto, una merce per ricavarne un profitto; è un esercizio manuale di una attività lavorativa, come detto, frutto di un’esperienza pratica. La parola mestiere evoca il concetto di competenza, di corporazione, di attività professionale.
Mestiere della pelle = trasformare una pelle grezza in una conservata, conciata e in pergamena.
Mestiere del cuoio  = lavorare una pelle conciata per produrre manufatti,  oggetti, merci.
Mestiere della pergamena = trasformare una pelle grezza in pergamena, e poi questa in supporti scrittori, in rilegature, in strumenti musicali (tamburi).

(…)
Seguendo il menu del sito verranno descritti i seguenti argomenti con autori e relative opere.
Il link “curriculum vitae” conterrà anche una breve presentazione del sito. Tre link verranno dedicati ai libri su argomenti conciari. Si inizierà con “I miei libri”; “Gli introvabili” conterranno le riproduzioni delle copertine di opere rare e introvabili nella storia del cuoio. Mentre la sezione “I libri degli altri”, titolo di un libro di Italo Calvino, tratterrà tutti i libri in circolazione.
La sezione dal titolo “I nomi del cuoio” oltre a elencare i nomi del cuoio, della pelle e della pelliccia in parecchie lingue, verrà di seguito completata dalle Etimologie Conciarie, e da uno studio dell’ing. Bernard Sol, conciatore e imprenditore francese. Una sezione è dedicata alle Scuole Conciarie, ai Musei del Cuoio e alle Associazioni. Verrà poi analizzata l’opera dell’astronomo e matematico “Joseph Jerôme La Lande”, autore di ben sei volumi sull’arte di fabbricare il cuoio ed un volume sull’arte di fabbricare la Pergamena. Una parte del sito verrà dedicata ad illustrare l’opera “Das Ständebuch” di Jost Amman e Hans Sachs, con nove xilografie sui mestieri del cuoio e della pergamena. Si illustrerà poi la figura di “Francesco Griselini”, autore del “Dizionario delle arti e de’ mestieri”, dal quale verranno estratte le voci riguarganti i mestieri della pellle e del cuoio. 

Nella sezione intitolata “Iconografia conciaria” verranno riproposte figure che riguardano la storia del cuoio e dell’arte conciaria (dai loghi delle vecchie concerie, ad immagini riguardanti il cuoio, et coetera).
Una sezione è dedicata alla figura e all’opera del “Prof. G.A.Bravo”, esimio studioso del cuoio e dell’arte conciaria, oltre che chimico del cuoio. Nella sezione “Studiosi del cuoio” verranno tracciate brevi biografie di studiosi del cuoio e dell’arte conciaria come Giacinto Baldracco, Vittorio Casaburi, Ettore Andreis, Bice Avenati Bassi, Enrico Simoncini, Rino Airoldi, Anna Maria Nada Petrone, Fernando Zampiva et alii.
La sezione dal nome “Le conce” sarà dedicata alle definizioni delle operazioni conciarie, cioè quelle che trasformano una pelle grezza, conservata in pelle conciata e in cuoio, oltre ad una breve descrizione delle macchine conciarie.
Ed infine la sezione “L’albero dei tannini” tratterà quelle sostanze vegetali concianti, che danno un cuoio morbido e profumato.

 

Recherches sur l'état de l'industrie des cuirs en France pendant le XVIIIe siècle... par Depors (1932)

Depors, H.; Recherches sur l'état de l'industrie des cuirs en France pendant le XVIIIe siècle et le début du XIXe siècle, Paris (1932)

URL (Gallica)

Table de matières:

1. La technique et l’approvisionnement de la industrie

2. Le regime administratif

3. La forme de l’industrie

4. Conditions économiques et sociales de la production

5. Le commerce

“Dimensional studies of specific microscopic fibre structures in deteriorated parchment before and during shrinkage” by Mühlen Axelsson et al (2012)

Mühlen Axelsson, K.; Larsen, R.;  Sommer, D. V. P.; “Dimensional studies of specific microscopic fibre structures in deteriorated parchment before and during shrinkage”, Journal of Cultural Heritage 13(2) (2012) 128–136

DOI:10.1016/j.culher.2011.08.001 (restricted access)

Abstract:

This paper reports the first systematic study of the dimensions of morphological changed microscopic collagen fibres in historical and new reference parchments with the aim to improve the knowledge on deterioration and the diagnosis of their damage in connection with conservation activities. The dimensions of fibres from the parchments were measured before and during shrinkage, with special emphasis on fibres with degradation characteristics designated as “pearls on a string” and “butterflies”. In addition, measurements of the total shrinkage of the length of fibres and pieces of parchment were also carried out. The observations support the assumption that in vivo transformation of the fibre structure by natural ageing is similar to that taking place when heating parchment and fibres in water. Based on statistical cluster analysis, four subpopulations of pearls representing different stages of deterioration are found. Moreover, the dimensional changes in the specific structures observed at room temperature can be related to specific temperatures in the interval of shrinkage suggesting that the hydrothermal stability of the fibres may be predicted on the basis of the ratio between length and width of the so-called pearls (Pl/Pw). The total shrinkage measured is drastic, in average around 56% for fibres and 43 to 48% for pieces of parchment depending on the direction of the skin. The total shrinkage of fibres corresponds to a mean change in the ratio Pl/Pw from around 10 to around 2.3. Finally, relations between the measured dimensions at the microscopic level with those of collagen at nanoscopic and molecular levels including known and potential chemical splitting points strongly indicate that the formation of the butterfly-like fragments formed by cleavage of two adjacent pearls in the fibre can be ascribed to chemical modification of specific tripeptides in the collagen molecule.

Pair of gloves, ca.1600, The MET Museum of Art

 

Pair of gloves [English] (28.220.7,.8)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/28.220.7,.8 (October 2010)

Le bon métier des tanneurs de l'ancienne cité de Liège par Bormans (1863)

Bormans, Stanislas; Le bon métier des Tanneurs de l'ancienne cité de Liège, Carmanne, Liège (1863)

URL (Internet Archive)

Table des matières:

I. Des officiers et des employés

II. Des compagnons

III. De la possession du Métier

IV. Des marchandises

V. Des propriétés de la corporation

VI. Des marques distinctives du Métier

VII. Des archives

"L’industrie du cuir en Bretagne à la fin de l’Ancien Régime d’après l’enquête Necker de 1778" par Derrien (2007)

Derrien, Dominique; “L’oeil sur la lunette: L’industrie du cuir en Bretagne à la fin de l’Ancien Régime d’après l’enquête Necker de 1778”, Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l’Ouest 114(1) (2007) 131-153

URL / PDF

Resumé:

La fabrication du cuir est une industrie ancienne, implantée dans les régions périphériques de la France, sur les frontières terrestres et maritimes du pays, notamment en Bretagne où elle connaît, durant l’époque moderne, un développement important. Les cuirs produits s’insèrent dans les courants d’échanges atlantiques et se négocient surtout à Bilbao, Lisbonne et les possessions coloniales portugaises. L’enquête ordonnée en 1778 par Jacques Necker, et réalisée par les inspecteurs des manufactures de Rennes et de Morlaix, montre une industrie encore florissante à la veille de la Révolution.

Abstract:

Leather manufacturing appears as an old industry, mainly established in peripheral regions of France, along borders and seashores, as in the case of Brittany where it particularly expanded during the modern era. Breton made leather were sent all around the Atlantic ocean. They were then most of the time sold in Bilbao, Lisbon and as far as Portuguese colonies. The inquiry ordered in 1778 by Jacques Necker, and realized by the inspectors of manufactures of Rennes and Morlaix, shows an industry which is still flourishing before the French Revolution.

Fur coat, Revillon Frèrès, c.1920, The MET Museum of Art