Montefiascone 2013

It's freezing outside (-3 in Cambridge), the sky is grey and unforgiving, and snow is steadily falling, so what better time to start planning a trip to Montefiascone? This year's programme has just been announced, and in typical fashion it will include a wide range of book-related classes.

A variety of pigments and inks made during Cheryl's class

Week one (29th July-2nd August) will be Cheryl Porter's reknowned class, Re-creating the Medieval Palette. In this class participants will study the animal, mineral abd vegetable colours that were processed to produce the colours used by artists throughout the medieval era. The focus will mostly (though not exclusively) be on manuscript art (Islamic and European) and participants will re-create the colours using original recipes. Cheryl's wonderful illustrated lectures, address the history, geography, chemistry, iconography and conservation of these materials, all followed by the invaluable opportunity to make these colours from scratch and paint them out.

Inside the John Rylands Library

Week two (5th -9th August) will focus on The Syriac Book, to be taught by John Mumford and Caroline Checkley-Scott. Manuscript Syriac 27 from the John Rylands Library at Manchester University is known as Abu Halim, from the East Syrian Catholikos (Elia III Abu Halim and others). Although this manuscript has an elaborate colophon, stating that the book was made in 1740, this style of binding has remained unchanged and can be found on books from the 7th century AD. With link stitch sewing onto wooden boards, elaborate end bands extending onto the boards, and full-thickness leather covers, the books have a most distinctive appearance.

During the third week (12th -16th August) I have the pleasure of teaching a class on Mamluk bindings, with lectures from Alison Ohta of the Royal Asiatic Society.

Detail of a Mamluk binding
Copyright (C) The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, UK

Mamluk bindings represent the pinnacle of Islamic book design. Whilst their structure seems to differ little from the generalised type-II binding described by Deroche, their decoration is refined and complex- a true demonstration of the skill of the accomplished book artists working in Egypt and Syria during the reign of the Mamluk Sultanate between 1250–1516. During the course participants will make a simple model of an Islamic binding structure, before focusing on the decoration techniques which make these bindings so astounding. This will include geometric design and cold tooling, printed leather doublures, and the application of gold.

The final week (19th -23rd August) will bring participants to Medieval European binding as Jim Bloxam and Shaun Thompson teach an Early Gothic Binding (late 13th cent) based on Manuscript Add. 4080 at Cambridge University Library. This very small scale devotional manuscript has been identified as coming from the Cistercian convent of Medingen, near Lüneburg Heath, North Germany. Its exceptional contemporary binding has interesting structural features, including a textile lining and a covering of alum-tawed skin, dyed red, over bevelled oak boards. The binding has the addition of brass fittings and fixtures and intricate blind tooling. The beautifully executed secondary braided endbands are an exquisite early example of a technique which was to continue and become widely used in Northern European bindings of the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Sewing the endbands for a model of CUL MS 4080

The Montefiascone Project continues to provide a wonderful opportunity  for professional and hobbyist book enthusiasts alike to share ideas, knowledge and experience.

For more information email Cheryl Porter at chezzaporter@yahoo.com Each course costs £445 GBP ($700 USD, €550 EUR) per week, including all tuition and some materials. Please note that places are limited.

The Montefiascone Conservation Project is a non-profit making programme and any extra moneys are used to buy materials for the library, archives and collections of the Seminario Barbarigo. This late medieval library is important to the history of the town, and is especially relevant to those interested in the history of the book.

Applications are welcomed for the Nicholas Hadgraft Scholarship award.