Old Russian codicology
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Recent papers in Old Russian codicology
A hypothesis how medieval scribes and illuminators were laying out manuscript folio based on the study of the 13 latin manuscripts of the XIII—XV centuries in St Petersburg and Moscow and the fotos of the 36 west-european, greek and... more
A hypothesis how medieval scribes and illuminators were laying out manuscript folio based on the study of the 13 latin manuscripts of the XIII—XV centuries in St Petersburg and Moscow and the fotos of the 36 west-european, greek and slavic manuscripts of the III—XVIII centuries, produced by the professional craftsmen. The scribes seems to have laid out the folios geometrically, without computations, using only a height and a width of the sheet and a height of the line (unité de réglure). It seems to be made in 3 ways: using the diagonals of the sheet (e.g. the “Tschichold’s layout”; Ill. 4, 11) or the height of the line (Ill. 9, 10, 12), or combining these two ways (Ill. 13, 14—17). A starting point (as a rule it was the width of the inner margin) seems to be found using the height and width of the sheet (s. Ill. 7, 8—9 (the Gloss), 11, 13, 17) or the height of the line (Ill. 8 (text), 10, 12, 14), or combining this ways (Ill. 9 (text), 15—16). The analyze of the “canon of Gutenberg” of R. Rosarivo by studying the 16 digitalized exemplars of Gutenberg Bible (B42) and the exemplar in Russian State Library (Ill. 30, 35) shows that Gutenberg didn’t use the division of the sheet into ninths. He must laid out the page using the width of the column, depending on the size of type and on the dimensions of his paper. The problems of accidental coincidences, permissible errors, subjective interpretations of the results can be solved only by studying of the individual characteristics of scribes or illuminators. These 3 ways of laying out can be used in the codicological description and in the modern calligraphy and book design for the finding the optimal line spacing and page makeup for any format.
Аннотация На основе анализа 13 латинских рукописей XIII—XV вв. из РНБ и РГБ и фотографий из 17 западноевропейских, 8 греческих и 11 древнерусских рукописей III—XVIII вв., созданных профессиональными писцами, в статье выдвигается гипотеза: писцы и миниатюристы осуществляли разметку листа геометрическим способом, исходя из высоты и ширины листа и высоты строки. Вероятно, существовало 3 способа разметки: с привязкой к диагонали/-ям листа (например, «разметка Чихольда»), с привязкой к высоте строки, и смешанный способ, объединяющий первые два. Исходную точку, откуда начинали разметку (чаще всего это было определение ширины корешкового поля), находили либо пересечением окружностей с радиусами, равными высоте и ширине листа, и центрами во внешних углах листа, либо откладывали от сгиба отрезок, кратный высоте строки, либо смешанным способом, объединяющим первые два. Метод пересечения окружностей, вероятно, использовался и для нахождения оптимальной высоты строки: расстояние от сгиба до точки пересечения окружностей делили на несколько частей. Проверка теории Р. Розариво об использовании И. Гутенбергом прообраза типографской сетки на материале оцифрованных экземпляров 42-строчной Библии и экземпляра В42 в РГБ (de visu) не подтвердилась. Судя по всему, Гутенберг размечал лист, ориентируясь на ширину столбца, которую он привязал к кеглю и размерам используемой им итальянской бумаги. Связанные с изучением разметки проблемы (возможность «случайных» совпадений и «случайной» привязки к диагоналям, определение степени допустимой погрешности при измерениях и интерпретации результатов, субъективный характер интерпретации) могут быть решены только в рамках исследования индивидуальных особенностей писцов или миниатюристов. Предложенные способы разметки могут успешно применяться в кодикологическом описании и изучении средневековых рукописей, а также в сфере современной каллиграфии и книжного дизайна для нахождения оптимального интерлиньяжа и гармоничного расположения наборной полосы на странице любого формата.
Аннотация На основе анализа 13 латинских рукописей XIII—XV вв. из РНБ и РГБ и фотографий из 17 западноевропейских, 8 греческих и 11 древнерусских рукописей III—XVIII вв., созданных профессиональными писцами, в статье выдвигается гипотеза: писцы и миниатюристы осуществляли разметку листа геометрическим способом, исходя из высоты и ширины листа и высоты строки. Вероятно, существовало 3 способа разметки: с привязкой к диагонали/-ям листа (например, «разметка Чихольда»), с привязкой к высоте строки, и смешанный способ, объединяющий первые два. Исходную точку, откуда начинали разметку (чаще всего это было определение ширины корешкового поля), находили либо пересечением окружностей с радиусами, равными высоте и ширине листа, и центрами во внешних углах листа, либо откладывали от сгиба отрезок, кратный высоте строки, либо смешанным способом, объединяющим первые два. Метод пересечения окружностей, вероятно, использовался и для нахождения оптимальной высоты строки: расстояние от сгиба до точки пересечения окружностей делили на несколько частей. Проверка теории Р. Розариво об использовании И. Гутенбергом прообраза типографской сетки на материале оцифрованных экземпляров 42-строчной Библии и экземпляра В42 в РГБ (de visu) не подтвердилась. Судя по всему, Гутенберг размечал лист, ориентируясь на ширину столбца, которую он привязал к кеглю и размерам используемой им итальянской бумаги. Связанные с изучением разметки проблемы (возможность «случайных» совпадений и «случайной» привязки к диагоналям, определение степени допустимой погрешности при измерениях и интерпретации результатов, субъективный характер интерпретации) могут быть решены только в рамках исследования индивидуальных особенностей писцов или миниатюристов. Предложенные способы разметки могут успешно применяться в кодикологическом описании и изучении средневековых рукописей, а также в сфере современной каллиграфии и книжного дизайна для нахождения оптимального интерлиньяжа и гармоничного расположения наборной полосы на странице любого формата.
The department for Scientific Research and Conservation of Parchment Manuscripts at the Grabar Art Conservation Center specializes in treatment of medieval manuscripts in Russian collections. Many of these manuscripts require conservation... more
The department for Scientific Research and Conservation of Parchment Manuscripts at the Grabar Art Conservation Center specializes in treatment of medieval manuscripts in Russian collections. Many of these manuscripts require conservation by special methods based on analysis of their codicology and history. That is why we consider the pre-conservation research to be highly important. Approximately one third of the complete cycle of conservation works are usually devoted to it. Among other factors, the results of examination of the manuscript are crucial for conservation or reconstruction of bindings. The conservation history of such manuscripts as Gospel Book of Simeon the Proud (RSL, F. 304/III, No 1), Morozov Gospel Book (Kremlin Armoury, No. 11056), etc. confirms this thesis. In this article the importance of pre-conservation research is illustrated by the example of two Old Russian codices: August Menaion, late 11th – early 12th c. (RSAAA, F. 381, No 125) and Kormchaia Book (Russian Nomocanon), 1280–1282 (SHM, Syn. 132).
Pre-conservation examination of the August Menaion proved that the ruined sewing of the book block is authentic. In other words, the manuscript has never been rebound. So that the original outline of the spine, fragments of the sewing threads and mise-en-page are conserved. This fact determined the choice of the method for conservation of parchment leaves and significantly influenced the binding project. During the conservation we have succeeded to save the original outline of the spine in each quire and in the book block as a whole. Uncoated wooden boards were attached to the book block to make the spine available for further research. We did not reconstruct the headbands because such reconstruction would be an unnecessary intervention in the authentic structure of the object. To protect the parchment book block from deformations and mechanical damage a removable exo-binding with leather coat and two metal clasps was designed.
A study of the Kormchaia Book (1280–1282) conducted in 2013 at the Grabar Art Conservation Center had to provide grounds for the conservation project of the secondary binding, which was in critical condition. First of all, it was necessary to determine the phases in the development of the manuscript and the history of repairs and later interventions on the basis of the codicological evidence. This data would make it possible to choose the method of conservation; in particular, to solve the problem of dismantling of the sewing and the book block. Examination of the quires revealed four phases in the development of the manuscript. The date of the secondary binding was corrected to late 14th – early 15th c. The corrected date of the binding and the high value of all its components (including sewing) should have led to minimization of conservation activities, which had to be limited to removing joiner's glue of the book spine and carefully completing the ruined sewing without dismantling the book block. We also proposed to omit any additions (imitations), such as headbands, metal furniture and clasps, because they would spoil the authentic look of the binding. The functions of metal furniture had to be performed by the exo-binding. However, this conservation project had never been implemented. It was the Conservation Department of the State Historical Museum that was finally entrusted with conservation of the manuscript. Conservation works according to another project were completed in 2014–2015.
Pre-conservation examination of the August Menaion proved that the ruined sewing of the book block is authentic. In other words, the manuscript has never been rebound. So that the original outline of the spine, fragments of the sewing threads and mise-en-page are conserved. This fact determined the choice of the method for conservation of parchment leaves and significantly influenced the binding project. During the conservation we have succeeded to save the original outline of the spine in each quire and in the book block as a whole. Uncoated wooden boards were attached to the book block to make the spine available for further research. We did not reconstruct the headbands because such reconstruction would be an unnecessary intervention in the authentic structure of the object. To protect the parchment book block from deformations and mechanical damage a removable exo-binding with leather coat and two metal clasps was designed.
A study of the Kormchaia Book (1280–1282) conducted in 2013 at the Grabar Art Conservation Center had to provide grounds for the conservation project of the secondary binding, which was in critical condition. First of all, it was necessary to determine the phases in the development of the manuscript and the history of repairs and later interventions on the basis of the codicological evidence. This data would make it possible to choose the method of conservation; in particular, to solve the problem of dismantling of the sewing and the book block. Examination of the quires revealed four phases in the development of the manuscript. The date of the secondary binding was corrected to late 14th – early 15th c. The corrected date of the binding and the high value of all its components (including sewing) should have led to minimization of conservation activities, which had to be limited to removing joiner's glue of the book spine and carefully completing the ruined sewing without dismantling the book block. We also proposed to omit any additions (imitations), such as headbands, metal furniture and clasps, because they would spoil the authentic look of the binding. The functions of metal furniture had to be performed by the exo-binding. However, this conservation project had never been implemented. It was the Conservation Department of the State Historical Museum that was finally entrusted with conservation of the manuscript. Conservation works according to another project were completed in 2014–2015.
- by Elina Dobrynina and +1
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- Conservation, Codicology, Bookbinding, Office Menaion