#Medieval manuscripts binding clasps series

Later, in the 16 th century, pasteboard became popular. Stiff, thick covers at the front and back of a book, often made of wood (oak) and covered with leather. Impressed from two-page blocks reaching across the sheet, in a brownish or greyish water-based ink, often hand-coloured, and mostly of a popular and/or religious character. Or xylography: essentially a picture book with illustration and text being cut on wood and printed on one side of the paper only. One of the earliest techniques to decorate bindings. Or blind tooling: Decoration, picture, or lettering that has been impressed onto the covers of a book with metal stamps or tools (letters, rolls, fillets etc.) without using leaf metal or other colouring material ('blind' meaning uncoloured). Bosses might be added to protect the binding and the leather might be decorated.īlank page(s) that are left intentionally in the book, located at beginning, at the end or at a clearly marked division of a book.

Clasps, straps and pin mechanisms could be attached to hold the book in shape. When leaves are assembled into gatherings or quires and sewn together, they are sewn onto supports (cords) The ends of the cords are attached to wooden boards which, together with the spine, are then covered (usually) with leather. A number of bifolia folded together form a quire.Ĭovering of a manuscript or printed book. Not easy to read or comprehend.Ī sheet of vellum or paper folded in half to produce two leaves (i.e.

#Medieval manuscripts binding clasps series

Latin for: 'Bible of the Poor', consisting of a series of miniatures illustrating the parallels between the Old and New Testaments, scenes from the life of Christ accompanied by Old Testament scenes and figures of the prophets together with abbreviated texts. Most important type of medieval picture bible composed during the 13 th century, it consists of short biblical passages and related commentaries with moral or allegorical lessons with many illustrations. The illustrations (usually column wide) depict many scenes not normally found in the standard repertory of biblical images. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance the Bible included the Hebrew Scriptures (also called the Old Testament), the Old Testament Apocrypha, and the New Testament, in the Latin translation known as the Vulgate.īiblical narrative in prose form, written by Guyart des Moulins and based on his translation into French (1291-94) of the Historia scholastica of Peter Comestor, interspersed with a French translation of parts of the Bible (Paris, c. Found in gothic illumination from the 13 th century onwards. (French) 'bottom of the page', unframed images in the lower margin that may (or may not) refer to the text or image above. Manuscript handwritten by the author himself. Work of which the authenticity or authorship is in doubt. Object that identifies a saint, usually the instrument of the martyr’s torture. Or Responsory, a chant sung in response by one side of the choir to the other alternate chanting or singing.

For the chants sung in Mass, see for another choirbook: Gradual. The contents are generally arranged in accordance with the Temporale, Sanctorale, and the Common of Saints in liturgical order. Initial composed wholly or partly of human figures such motifs occur in other decorative contexts as well.Īntiphoner or Antiphonary, often a large format book containing the sung portions of the Divine Office. Ornament of stylized, foliate motif often used in medieval art and deriving from the depiction of the acanthus plant in a decorative context, for instance in the margin or border decoration.

A specialized dictionary can help to decipher the original word. Or abridgement often used to save space and effort when writing.