Book design and Bookbinding Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Archaeology of Tibetan Books, Agnieszka Helman-Ważny explores the varieties of artistic expression, materials, and tools that have shaped Tibetan books over the millennia. Digging into the history of the bookmaking craft, the author approaches these ancient texts primarily through the lens of their artistry, while simultaneously showing them as physical objects embedded in pragmatic, economic, and social frameworks. She provides analyses of several significant Tibetan books—which usually carry Buddhist teachings—including a selection of manuscripts from Dunhuang from the 1st millennium C.E., examples of illuminated manuscripts from Western and Central Tibet dating from the 15th century, and fragments of printed Tibetan Kanjurs from as early as 1410. This detailed study of bookmaking sheds new light on the books' philosophical meanings.Trade Review'Helman-Ważny’s approach is exhaustive, and it is her ability to make engrossing even the most detailed and painstaking analysis of manuscripts as the physical manifestation of fibre and ink that renders her book essential to the study, not only of Tibetan material culture and textuality, but of Tibetan culture as a whole.' Simon Wickhamsmith, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Posted to New Asia Books, http://newbooks.asia/review/documents-artefacts

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Technique of Islamic Bookbinding is the first monograph dedicated to the technical development of the bookbinding tradition in the Islamic world. Based on an assessment of the extensive oriental collections in the Leiden University Library, the various sewing techniques, constructions and the application of covering materials are described in great detail. A comparative analysis of the historic treatises on bookbinding provides further insight into the actual making of the Islamic book. In addition, it is demonstrated that variations in time and place can be established with the help of distinctive material characteristics. Karin Scheper’s work refutes the perception of Islamic bookbinding as a weak structure, which has generally but erroneously been typified as a case-binding. Instead, the author argues how diverse methods were used to create sound structures, thus fundamentally challenging our understanding of the Islamic bookbinding practice. Karin Scheper has been awarded the De La Court Award 2016 by The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences for her study of the bookbinding tradition in the Islamic world.Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Materiality Matters A Detailed Sketch of the Current State of Knowledge and Outline of the Research  The Information Value of Binding Structures  The Present Situation of the Book Archaeology of Islamic Manuscripts  Obstacles in the Study of Islamic Bookmaking  Linking Physical Analysis, Catalogue Data, and Literature  Selection and Justification of the Corpus 2 The Anatomy of the Islamic Manuscript A Detailed Overview of the Different Methods of Construction  Vocabulary and Images as Tools  Techniques Used to Construct the Textblock  Covering and Board Attachment  A Problematic Term: Case-binding  Other Characteristics  Meaning and Validity of the Diversity 3 A Comparative Study of the Historic Sources and Recent Literature on the Making of Islamic Manuscripts  Historic Sources  Secondary Sources: Related Studies and General Reference Works  Founders of our Knowledge on the Use of Structure and Materials in Islamic Bookmaking  Structure as a Starting Point  Structure as a Side Issue  Structure as a Conservation Issue  The Sum of the Parts 4 Multiplicity within the Tradition n Account of the Methodology and Quantitative Results of the Survey  Methodology  Survey Results—Quantitative Analysis 5 Mapping the Variations in Time and Place Datable and Localisable Features and a Further Interpretation of the Findings  Sewing  Spine-lining  Endbanding  Covering  Spine-endings  Interior Covering of the Boards  The Envelope and Fore-edge Flap  Miscellaneous Features  Southeast Asia as a Sub-category in the Islamic Tradition  Summary 6 Considerations and New Perspectives  Recapitulation  Development of the Tradition  Discussion  Conclusion Appendices 1 Glossary 2 Corpus 3 Example of a Record of the Database 4 List of Manuscripts Used in Illustrations Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpecimens of Chromatic Wood Type, Borders, &c. is a vintage volume with an established cultlike status within the bibliophile, typographic, and design worlds. Originally published as a catalogue for William H. Page’s Connecticut wood type foundry— considered one of the best in the world—this 1874 type specimen book features elaborate display typefaces meant to announce tent revivals and circuses. In addition to the beautifully intricate typefaces and playful designs, the original author designed the pages in such a random sequence that the text reads as humorous and strange experimental poetry. Accidental or not, this beautiful book will delight readers with the humor and the beauty of each print.   This edition reproduces all 102 pages of the original book. A charming gift or perfect addition to any serious art-book library, this volume will be loved by typographers, designers, artists, poets, DIYers, and anyone with a wicked sense of style.Trade Review"During the 1870s the Wm. H. Page & Company published what are often considered the greatest type specimens ever printed. These lavish books were masterfully printed to showcase Page’s chromatic wood types and inks by Wade’s Inks. Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Pie Press, design historian Steven Heller, and artist Wayne White collaborated to produce a stunning facsimile of Page’s 1874 specimen, published by Rizzoli."—Daily Type Specimen"Surpringly psychadelic..."—Alexandra Lange

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMiniature books, handwritten or printed books in the smallest format, have fascinated religious people, printers, publishers, collectors, and others through the centuries because of their unique physical features, and continue to captivate people today. The small lettering and the delicate pages, binding, and covers highlight the material form of texts and invite sensory engagement and appreciation. This volume addresses miniature books with a special focus on religious books in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The book presents various empirical contexts for how the smallest books have been produced, distributed, and used in different times and cultures and also provides theoretical reflections and comments that discuss the divergent formats and functions of books.Table of ContentsReligious Miniature Books: Introduction and Overview Kristina Myrvold and Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 1: Ritualizing the Size of Books James W. Watts, Syracuse University Chapter 2: On the Functions of Miniaturizing Books in Jewish Religion Marianne Schleicher, Aarhus University Chapter 3: Words in a Nutshell: Miniaturizing Texts in Early Modern England Lucy Razzall, University College London Chapter 4: Small Things of Greatest Consequence: Miniature Bibles in America Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 5: Diminutive Divination and the Implications of Scale: A Miniature Quranic Falnama of the Safavid Period Heather Coffey, OCAD University, Canada Chapter 6: Mite Qurans for Indian Markets: David Bryce in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Kristina Myrvold Chapter 7: Miniature Qurans in the First World War: Religious Comforts for Indian Muslim Soldiers Kristina Myrvold and Andreas Johansson, Lund University Chapter 8: Size Matters! Miniature Mushafs and the Landscape of Affordances Jonas Svensson, Linnaeus University Chapter 9: Gitamahatmya! Paratexts in Miniature Bhagavad Gitas with Special Reference to Pictures and Gender Jon Skarpeid, University of Stavanger, Norway Chapter 10: Sutras Working in Buddha’s Belly and Buddhists’ Pockets: Miniature Sutras in Korean Buddhism Yohan Yoo and Woncheol Yun, both at Seoul National University

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis unique history brings together more than 150 spectacular objects from the National Art Library's collection of literature, prints, drawings and photographs. Housed within the V&A, the library was, from the beginning, an integral part of the Museum, formed by, and for, artists and designers as an essential element of the educational and museological project of Prince Albert and Henry Cole after the Great Exhibition of 1851. Word & Image shows how the distinct character of the NAL was formed, and how its collections created a new kind of bibliographical resource. From a fifteenth-century book of hours to William Morris's specimen pages for Jean Froissart's The Chronicles of Fraunce, Inglande, and Other Places Adjoynynge; from George Cruikshank's studies of Fagin for Oliver Twist to an Yves Saint Laurent design for the House of Dior; and from Bill Brandt's photographs to the Book of Nails by Floating Concrete Octopus, Word & Image explores some of the finest examples of 'book art' in existence.Table of ContentsWord and Image - the Evolution of the Victoria and Albert Museum's Library -- The Growth of the Library Collection 1837-1909 -- Collecting the Art and Design of the Book after 1909 -- Resources for Art and Design Education -- Making Images: The Illustrator at Work -- Designers, Aesthetes and the 'Book Beautiful' -- The Impact of Photography -- Promoting Commercial Art: The Initiative of 1936 -- The Fashion Archive -- Modern Artists and the Book

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMedieval prayer books held not only the devotions and meditations of Christianity, but also housed, slipped between pages, sundry notes, reminders, and ephemera, such as pilgrims' badges, sworn oaths, and small painted images. Many of these last items have been classified as manuscript illumination, but Kathryn M. Rudy argues that these pictures should be called, instead, parchment paintings, similar to postcards. In a delightful study identifying this group of images for the first time, Rudy delineates how these objects functioned apart from the books in which they were kept. Whereas manuscript illuminations were designed to provide a visual narrative to accompany a book's text, parchment paintings offered a kind of autonomous currency for exchange between individualspeople who longed for saturated color in a gray world of wood, stone, and earth. These small, colorful pictures offered a brilliant reprieve, and Rudy shows how these intriguing and previously unfamiliar images were traded and cherished, shedding light into the everyday life and relationships of those in the medieval Low Countries.Trade Review'Yale has produced the first published book to identify and give us an insight into these types of images... It is a must for history lovers, but will be enjoyed by all who turn its glorious pages, with some unforgettable illustrations.'-Bill Spence, Yorkshire Gazette & Herald. -- Bill Spence Yorkshire Gazette & Herald "Postcards on Parchment is a cornucopia of deeply researched case studies and images"-Nicolette Zeeman, TLS -- Nicolette Zeeman TLS "It is not often that a scholar can say they have identified a new genre of artwork. Yet Kathryn Rudy has achieved just that in this thoughtful study of parchment paintings."-Mary Wellesley, Apollo -- Mary Wellesley Apollo "[Kathryn Rudy's] study is both provocative and well documented, generously illustrated and appealingly written, with a lively awareness of the medieval practices that are likely to draw in non-specialists as well."-Elizabeth J. Moodey, Historians of Netherlandish Art -- Elizabeth J. Moodey Historians of Netherlandish Art "[An] exuberant study ... Rudy is an agile spelunker of books, delving with brio into their recesses. The abundant details that emerge from these excavations never seem to grow ponderous, and they are always leavened by Rudy's effervescent prose."-Sonja Drimmer, caa.reviews -- Sonja Drimmer caa.reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisShowcasing a unique and extensive private collection that is soon to be acquired by the Yale Center for British Art, The Poet of Them All illustrates almost one hundred of Neale and Margaret Albertâs miniature books, each one intricately constructed and rendered in precise detail at less than three inches in height. Imaginatively hand-bound by some of todayâs most accomplished bookbinders, the selection features custom miniature editions of publications by William Shakespeare and related to his works, preceded by an in-depth essay from leading book historian, conservator, and artist James Reid-Cunningham. Revealing an underexplored facet of contemporary book arts, this publication illustrates the remarkable singularity of the Albertsâ collection, providing both comprehensive views and the scholarly context necessary to fully appreciate the significance of these distinctive objects. Distributed for the Yale Center for British ArtExhibition Schedule:The Grolier Club, New York (03/24/1

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated, full colour history of scrolls and their uses in medieval life.Trade Review"We all supposed that scrolls had more-or-less died out in the ancient world, to be superseded by the codex. This fascinating book unfolds a parallel universe of manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. The living fossils from antiquity were actually still there, alive and invisible, in every aspect of medieval book production. They just keep rolling, they keep on rolling along." -- Christopher de Hamel, author of Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts"There is much to admire in Kelly's concise, well-illustrated, and vivid account." -- Bernard Meehan, Research Fellow, Trinity Medieval History Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin"This is a wonderful introduction to the medieval scroll. A thoroughly enjoyable reading with numerous insights on this very popular form and exceptionally illustrated with key examples and explanatory caption." -- Orietta Da Rold, Fellow at St. John’s College, Cambridge"... lively book... There are many beautiful images here: we are able to study scrolls containing recipes—culinary, medical, magical and alchemical (some of them were lavishly illustrated); rolls of arms; maps for pilgrimages; and royal genealogies." -- Times Literary Supplement"This lavishly illustrated survey provides a superb overview of these important and often beautiful artefacts." -- Times Higher Education"This book sets out to set the record straight by instancing the scroll in various forms throughout the Middle Ages into the Renaissance." -- The Art Newspaper"... well-illustrated and highly readable volume... decades of research into scrolls by the author has resulted in a fascinating glimpse of their use throughout history..." -- The Catholic Herald

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe volume includes a glossary of terms, a timeline of important events, and a selected bibliography of useful resources for further information.Trade ReviewThe book is arguably the one technology that has made all others possible... What Howard does is provide an exceedingly accessible retelling of the book's life story, one that shows precisely how books represent a peak of technology, giving permanence and form to ideas and relevance and resonance to their readers. Libraries & the Cultural Record A very succinct history of the book that will be quite useful, in introductory book history courses as a survey text (or by any bibliophile who wants to know more.) philobiblos.blogspot.com 2009Table of ContentsIntroductionTimeline1. Ancestors: Books before Print2. Infancy: The Earliest Printed Books, 1450–15003. Youth: Books in the Sixteenth Century4. Adulthood: Early-Modern Books, 1600–18005. Maturity: Books in the Age of Automation, 1800–19006. The Future of Books: Twentieth Century and BeyondGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisDocumenting in exhaustive detail the earliest and most interesting portion of the Grolier Club's renowned collection of French book auction catalogues, this book sheds new light on the twin phenomena of private collecting and the antiquarian book trade in France when it was at the height of its political power and cultural influence. It also reveals hitherto neglected physical aspects of this very interesting class of bibliography. Each of the 616 entries includes full title transcription, a detailed collation, and the number of lots, often followed by extensive comments on the circumstances of the sale, as well as the history and subsequent fate of the collection.

Read more less