The Technique of Islamic Bookbinding: Methods, Materials and Regional Varieties

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Materiality matters -- The anatomy of the Islamic manuscript -- A comparative study of the historic sources and recent literature on the making of Islamic manuscripts -- Multiplicity within the tradition -- Mapping the variations in time and place -- Considerations and new perspectives.

'The Technique of Islamic Bookbinding' explores the development of the bookbinding tradition in the Islamic world. Based on an assessment of the collections in the University Library Leiden and focussing on construction, it covers in detail the various sewing techniques, board attachment structures, and the application of covering materials. A comparative analysis of the historic treatises on bookbinding provides further insight in the actual making of the Islamic book. It becomes clear that the tradition is more varied than often thought, and that distinctive material characteristics can be indicative for production in a certain period or region. Karin Scheper further demonstrates how diverse methods were used to create sound structures, which fundamentally changes our understanding of the Islamic bookbinding practice.