Many of the handouts from standards seminars from 1989 through 2005. See more ideas about medieval books, bookbinding, girdle. And its a very unique and beautiful accessory to contemporary larp live action role play or historical reenactment events. Even though miniature books may not be the best vehicles for weighty ideas, i try, in the books i design and illustrate, to proportion the subject matter to the size of my books. This type of binding provides portability, protection against unruly weather. Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions. What a hot mobile device from the 16th century tells us. You can see examples here altar of the gertrud brotherhood of the. The long tapered tail at the end of the book was slipped through the belt or girdle, and the knotknob at the end stopped the book from coming off. Making a girdle book isnt as difficult as it looks if you have a little time and patience. There is very little research and documentation on girdle books in the public domain unfortunately with no comprehensive inventory or description of the surviving girdle books available. See more ideas about girdle, bookbinding, medieval books. See more ideas about girdle, medieval books, books.
Doc the medieval girdle book project margit j smith academia. The information in the handout covers all aspects of making a girdle book model. Popular circa 0 to 1600 girdle books were small books with bindings that extended beyond the book in a tail with a knot at the end. Cheryl porter had made it her project to attract bookbinders, preservationists and. The printed book is from 1508, the blindtooled leather binding from 1579 and the exterior knotted leather cover was added ten years later, in 1589. Smith is an exploration of a rare type of book construction. Personalized, custom smartphone case bound as a leather medieval girdle book smartphones are handy to have, even at historical reenactment events.
Manuscript books were luxury items, so their representation in art signifies wealth and prestige. Make a girdle book sydney bookbinding bookbinding, medieval. Making a girdle book isnt as difficult as it looks if you have a little time and. Jun 18, 2020 the project is utilizing the same concept as phonebook to present ideas of eleven inspiring dutch thinkers and doers, in a variety of fields. The medieval girdle book is a wellwritten book, for the interested binder that will further ones understanding of the structural and covering solutions employed in making girdle books. With 26 remaining known examples, the girdle book is an item worthy of. The girdle book a miniature book bo press miniature books, riverside ca 2018 the book is 2 x 1 12, the binding is 3 12 tall girdle books were a fad of the late middle ages in burgundy and the north of europe. R eviews of many of the presentations are available in the newsletter and journal. Only twentythree girdle books are known to exist today, but if we judge by their presence in medieval art, they were a popular commodity at the time. Girdle books were small portable books worn by medieval european monks, clergymen and aristocratic nobles as a popular accessory to medieval costume, between the th and 16th centuries. Additional examples can be found on wikimedia commons and the medieval girdle book project see project. My girdle books would contain new objects of devotion, new contemplations. The medieval girdle book project, the international journal of the book, volume 3, number 4 szirmai l. Girdle book, mechanical encyclopedia, sensory fiction, tree book tree.
Among the few medieval books available to us, the girdle book stands out because so. It was considered particularly fashionable for ladies of rank in the english court between around 1530 and 1560. Girdle books had to be small, and they had to be light. While they werent so rare back in the times as you can see on contemporary artworks, worldwide only about two dozen of those books remain in museums. Related to the girdle book, but not included in my project are chemise bindings, wrapper bindings, folded almanachs, and jeweled miniature books. How to make a medieval girdle book lovable history. While the specifics of all aspects of making a girdle book are hinted at, a conscientious practitioner can infer enough to make ones own girdle book. Doc the medieval girdle book project margit j smith. What a hot mobile device from the 16th century tells us about. Reviewed in the united states on july 16, 2018 girdle books are mysterious, almost mythical structures, designed to allow the owner to wear the book, hanging from a long tail attached to ones belt girdle. A girdle prayer book is a miniature prayer book enclosed within gold covers that is attached by long chains to girdle chains worn around the waist, almost as a conspicuous piece of jewellery. A the archaelogy of medieval bookbinding, ashgate 1999, isbn0 85967 904 7 medieval manuscript.
Istvan borbasnational library of sweden portable volume, girdle book of leather with a knot to be tucked under a persons girdle or belt, from which the book hung upside down so that it could be picked up and read at any time. See more ideas about book art, book crafts, book sculpture. John carter, in his abc for book collectors, describes miniature books as books whose principal usually only interest lies in their very small size. The medieval girdle book project and the resulting monograph will provide additional material to the institutions that own these rare objects and provide future students with one comprehensive source of information about the girdle book. Having worked as hand bookbinder for nearly thirty years and being especially intrigued by early and medieval book structures, the girdle book was a topic eminently suited to my interest as librarian and hand bookbinder. Oct 7, 2017 i just finished my first day of karen hanmers workshop, medieval on the go. Burn a book you hated this has kind of a hidden imagery for me. See more ideas about book art, artist books, sketch book. Dec 19, 2018 girdle book see main page for description. These books were worn by monks, nobles and women in medieval times. Girdle book ancient books, medieval books, antique books. The focus was the art of the book in america and included a two day conference on the history of the guild and bookbinding in the united states. Additionally, raising awareness of the girdle book may lead to discover as yet unrecognized and undocumented examples of this book format.
Made with all the materials and techniques of fine bookbindings, including quarterinchthick wood boards, supple goatskin leather blindtooled in a medieval design, handmarbled paper, and metal corner. The medieval girdle book and advanced paper conservation. Portable volume, girdle book of leather with a knot to be tucked under a persons girdle or belt, from which the book hung upside down so that it could be picked up and read at any time. In this workshop students will create a medieval style leather girdle book. The knot was tucked into a persons girdle belt from which the book would then hang.
Those two holes across the top were for the string that would attach to ones girdle or belt. Dolf steyn leather objects i get ideas from for own projects. The girdle book bo press miniature books, riverside ca 2018 the book is 2 x 1 12, the binding is 3 12 tall girdle books were a fad of the late middle ages in burgundy and the north of europe. The medieval girdlebook documentation project fulbright. A list of 150 examples shows the proportion of representation in painting and in sculpture as. They are indeed meant to be read, and, if they dont tackle the profoundest of ideas, they give their owners some intriguing entertainment. Small books of devotions, law, lists, recipes, or formulae were carried about the person by a clever. Girdle book, a kind of binding in use in the centuries. Book model, bookbinding, girdle book, karen hanmer, whitney baker this entry was posted on monday, september 14th, 2020 at 2. This luxurious leather case, bound as a medieval girdle book, protects and disguises your phone while adding to your personas overall look. Feb 11, 2015 they were challenged to create a chemise girdle book, in this case, a fabric covering to fit over a paperback book. See more ideas about book making, handmade books, bookbinding. Jan storm van leeuwen has written an excellent explanation and summary of this topic in his article the wellshirted bookbinding and frederick bearmans article the origins and. Additionally, descriptions of the more recent presentations may be found in the library video catalog.
Last weekend in quakenbruck i had the time to work on some book projects while i was explainig medieval bookbinding techniques to the. Custom leather smartphone case in medieval girdle book style for. As a christian liturgical vestment, the girdle is a long, ropelike cord tied around the waist over the alb or cassock. A the archaelogy of medieval bookbinding, ashgate 1999, isbn0 85967 904 7. After that time this book type vanished, except for a handful of still functioning books. Girdle books were in the possession of monks and aristocrats in medieval europe. Chronology and use of the girdle book in this essay i refer to all volumes as books. Standards history and handouts the guild of book workers.
Last weekend in quakenbruck i had the time to work on some book projects while i was explainig. Some years ago i decided to make a socalled girdle book. I thought of girdles as binders, like notebooks, places to house stories and ideas in structures designed to push and mold female figures into idealized, often unreal shapes. The medieval girdle book documentation project scholar information. With 26 remaining known examples, the girdle book is an item worthy of a comprehensive look. A girdle book is an unusual form with an extension which is tucked into a girdle the medieval word for belt and worn as an accessory. See more ideas about girdle, medieval books, medieval. The oldestschool route to keeping your notes handy. Girdle books were a variant on other forms of medieval book binding in which the leather or cloth continued loose beyond the edges of the hard cover. Like other book forms in this evolution, the girdle book is inextricably connected with all other book formats, and the medieval girdle book project will enhance our understanding of book production and trade during a crucial period of leading from the middle ages into the renaissance. Working with the girdle form has been a process of healing, of. This miniature book was meant to be worn like a holstered blackberry. Small books of devotions, law, lists, recipes, or formulae were carried about the.
Girdle books, illuminated initials, and the anonymous master. A girdle book is a special type of book which was in vogue about 400600 years ago. We hope that bringing the girdle book to the attention of professionals working with books as librarians. Especially for small personal books like the book of hours, the leather often extended sideways, which gave extra protection for the book when not in use the loose edges could be wrapped round, and often buckles or laces enabled the book to be.
Go medieval by attaching a book to your belt atlas obscura. The goal of the book is to try to foresee how business, technology, and culture would develop in the next 10 years. Papermaking for a medieval girdle book lovable history. They consisted of a book whose leather binding continued loose below the cover of the book in a long tapered tail with a large knot at the end which could be tucked into ones girdle or belt. The extension and knot allow for the book to be attached to a belt and carried on the person. Examples of girdle books carried on the belt third. Nestled in the open circle of a decorative capital p, two devout young women hold rosaries, girdle books, and a lily. This leather extends from the tail of the book, so the text can be read while the book is still attached to the readers belt. Department of state with funding provided by the u. The meticulously crafted letter, an ornament cut from a northern italian choir book, is by a miniaturist well versed in contemporary culture, fashion, and arts at the turn of the 16th century. Some researchers have started to undertake this as a project primarily margit smith recently retired as part of the medieval girdle book documentation project. A girdle book is an unusual form with an extension which is tucked into a girdle. This is the third workshop ive taken with karen at the focus on.
Girdle books were small portable books worn by medieval european monks, clergymen and. The long tapered tail at the end of the book was slipped through the belt or girdle, and the knotknob. Girdle books, illuminated initials, and the anonymous. See more ideas about girdle, medieval books, bookbinding. A list of 150 examples shows the proportion of representation in painting and in.
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