Historical Book Structures

This semester I took the amazing and extremely intensive Historical Structures class with Julie Leonard. It was at the end of the semester that we realized how much work we actually did! We took on five major time periods within which we could pick 1-2 structures to take on and complete in the few weeks devoted to each section. The deadlines on all projects were rolling, so we could work on everything simultaneously through the semester. This was a boon, because as expected, some books took alot longer than others. Here are two structures completed during this class that havent been otherwise blogged about.

Ethiopian binding sewn with multiple needles. This book is typically covered in leather.

For this binding I made a telescoping case with UICB Case paper, called a Dafat Madar.

Dafat Madar, typically made with leather.

Limp Vellum binding, made with a paper case with alum taw used as sewing supports. 

The taw is pulled through the case. The holes have to made slightly smaller in diameter so that they really hold
the book block in place. The holes for the endbands are made even smaller, 

as the taw used for the enband bore is thinner is width.

The endband is sewn around a rounded alum taw core with hemp thread.
These books tend to cave inwards at the spine, so the spine was reinforced with a minute amount of pva.

Typically these bindings have yapps at the foredge. Each yapp is 1/3rd of the thickness of the book.
Yapps were made to protect the foredge.