Paper and Parchment Making

Paper and Parchment Making

De Hamel, Christopher. "Paper and Parchment Makers." Scribes and Illuminators. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1992.

"Parchment is made from the skin of an animal" (8).

"In normal usage, the terms 'parchment' and 'vellum' are interchangeable" (8).

Pergamenum (i.e. parchment) "derives its name from the city of Pergamum, whose ancient King Eumenes II is said by Pliny to have invented it in the second century BC during a trade blockade on papyrus" (8).

"Old-fashioned books about medieval manuscripts assert that the finest medieval parchment was made from the skin of aborted calves..." (16).

"Not all medieval manuscripts were written on parchment. The Middle Ages opened with a long legacy of papyrus book production, and this fragile Egyptian reed material lingered on in occasional use until the seventh or even eighth century" (16).

"The smaller the book, the more elaborately it was ruled" (20).

"Splendidly illuminated manuscripts have grids of guide lines" (22).