Textiles in Manuscripts : A Local and Global History of the Book

Preserved between the covers of books, textiles offer a remarkable glimpse into how the local production of books was connected to vibrant global trade networks from late antiquity through the early modern period. This volume takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to examining the widespread use of textiles in books and manuscripts, ranging from practical uses to the ornamental and beyond. Practical uses include textiles as binding supports, as wrappers or enclosures, and as protective coverings. Yet textiles used to protect images ― a practical consideration ― can simultaneously be both ornamental and deeply meaningful. Similarly, textiles tucked into the binding, their beautiful detail hidden from the human eye, continue to convey spiritual or talismanic qualities. Finally, some manuscripts include painted depictions of textiles alongside actual textiles bound within the volume. How to take stock of these complex and dynamic patterns of usage, while also respecting the specific histories of each bookmaking tradition? This volume brings together a range of experts to unpack the vivid and surprising history of textiles in manuscripts. The historical account they offer is both local and global: local, in that each chapter is tightly focused on a single tradition, or even a single book; global, in that together these chapters illuminate the rich web of interconnections that link the cultural and craft centers of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

• New research on Syriac, Armenian, Byzantine, Ethiopian, Chinese, Mongolian, Islamic, and Hebrew manuscripts from late antiquity through the early modern period

• Production, trade, and exchange of books in a global focus

• With contributions of book historians, textile scholars, conservators, art historians, and codicologists

Melissa Moreton, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.

Melissa Moreton is a codicologist and scholar of the history of the book, who is particularly interested in material culture and the development and exchange of manuscript technologies across Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. She works on projects relating to global book history (1000–1700) and Indigenous language and cultural revitalization. Melissa currently resides in Princeton, NJ. 

Suzanne Conklin Akbari has expanded the range and methods of exploring texts from the Middle Ages, pushing the boundaries of traditional readings and exploring shared histories. Her research has traced the evolving relationship between sight and knowledge as manifested in a range of poetic texts, explored the relationship between Islam and Christianity, challenged the notion of medieval European literature’s insularity, and highlighted the influence of Arabic poetry, music, and philosophy. She resides in Princeton, NJ.