What place does the paper book have in our increasÂingÂly all-digÂiÂtal present? While some utilÂiÂtarÂiÂan arguÂments once marÂshaled in its favor (“You can read them in the bathÂtub” and the like) have fallÂen into disÂuse, othÂer, more aesÂthetÂiÂcalÂly focused arguÂments have arisen: that a work in print, for examÂple, can achieve a state of beauÂty as an object in and of itself, the way a file on a lapÂtop, phone, or readÂer nevÂer can. In a sense, this case for the paper book in the 21st cenÂtuÂry comes back around to the case for the paper book from the 12th cenÂtuÂry and even earÂliÂer, the age of the illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscript.
BookÂmakÂers back then had to conÂcenÂtrate on presÂtige prodÂucts, givÂen that they couldÂn’t make books in anyÂthing like the numÂbers even the humÂblest, most antiÂquatÂed printÂing operÂaÂtion can run off today.
In the video above, the GetÂty MuseÂum reveals the painstakÂing physÂiÂcal process behind the medieval illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscript: the sourcÂing, soakÂing, and stretchÂing of aniÂmal skin for the parchÂment; the conÂverÂsion of feathÂers into the quills and nuts into the ink with which scribes would write the text; the appliÂcaÂtion of gold leaf and othÂer colÂors by the illuÂmiÂnaÂtor as they drew in their designs; and the sewing of the bindÂing before encasÂing the whole packÂage tightÂly between clasped leather covÂers.
Some illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscripts also bear elabÂoÂrate covÂer designs sculptÂed of preÂcious metÂal, but even withÂout those, these elabÂoÂrate books — what with all the art and craft that went into them, not to menÂtion all those pricey mateÂriÂals — came out even more valuÂable, at the time, than even the most covÂetÂed lapÂtop, phone, readÂer, or othÂer conÂsumer elecÂtronÂic device today. Most of us in the develÂoped world can now buy one of those, but the non-instiÂtuÂtionÂal patrons willÂing and able to comÂmisÂsion the most splenÂdid illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscripts in the MidÂdle Ages and earÂly RenaisÂsance includÂed mostÂly “sociÂety’s rulers: emperÂors, kings, dukes, carÂdiÂnals, and bishÂops.”
To fulÂly underÂstand the makÂing of the devices we use to read elecÂtronÂiÂcalÂly today would require years and years of study, and so there’s someÂthing satÂisÂfyÂing in the fact that we can grasp so much about the makÂing of illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscripts with relÂaÂtive ease: see, for examÂple, the two-minute GetÂty video just above, “The StrucÂture of a Medieval ManÂuÂscript.” A fuller underÂstandÂing of the nature of illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscripts, both in the sense of their conÂstrucÂtion and their place in sociÂety, makes for a fuller underÂstandÂing of how rare the chance was to own beauÂtiÂful books of their kind in their own time — and how much rarÂer the exact comÂbiÂnaÂtion of skills needÂed to creÂate that beauÂty.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
How the BrilÂliant ColÂors of Medieval IlluÂmiÂnatÂed ManÂuÂscripts Were Made with AlcheÂmy
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities and culÂture. His projects include the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
AbsoluteÂly wonÂderÂful. I’ve always loved illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscripts and had wonÂdered how they are made. Thanks for this!
This is fanÂtasÂtic film. Most interÂestÂing, I hope more will become availÂable.
I have been workÂing on fdedigns for over 10- years for an illuÂmiÂnatÂed manÂuÂscript type alphaÂbet book. Always lookÂing for inforÂmaÂtion. The art work takes forÂevÂer.