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SOME ORIENTAL BINDINGS IN THE CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY SOME Oriental Bindings IN THE Chester Beatty Library BY BERTHE VAN REGEMORTER with 71 plates, 21 in colour DUBLIN HODGES FIGGIS & CO LTD 1961 PRINTED AND BOUND IN GREAT BRITAIN BY EMERY WALKER LIMITED 095 REG Preface Sir A. Chester Beatey qui a réuni une admirable collection de manuserits et de dessins cc estampes a roujours Fuilité les recherches des amateurs d'art. Ia fait plus, ila publi dls livres pecmettant aux swvanes de jouir des teésors réunis chez lui. Une fois de plas, avec son sens admirable de ce que sa bibliothéque offe de spécial, il décidé de publiet Te présent album repeoduisant des pices représentatives de sa collection de reliures poricntales Je sis és honorée de la confiance qu'il m’a eémoignée en me lasant le soit dle choisir parmi cous ces objets de valeur et d’en fire la description. Espérant de tout ccoxur avoie réussi dans cete viche importante, je Ini présente ici ana tres sincére reconnaissance et je salue trés respectuewsement cn Sir Chester Beatty le modele des bibliophiles: celal qui fait bénéficier tout le monde de sa passion pour le belles choses. Ta description des planches de cet album qui couvre 1m ensemble de tant de pays ex de tant de sitcles, m’a obligée plus dime fois 3 recourie & la humiére de specialists Madame M. R. Guignard, conservatcur de la section orientale da Département des Mamascrits la Bibliothique Nationale, Pars, ct Mademoiselle R. Houyoux,conservateut de la Section d?Extxéme-Orient aux Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire 4 Bruxelles ont toujours répondu avec empressement 2 mes questions. Monsieur Mekhitarian, serétaire général de la Fondation Egyptologique Reine Elisabeth 4 Beuxells, m'a fourni une indication précieuse au sujet d’um objet égyption tts rare. Je suis heurcuse de pouvoir dite ici & tous erois combien je leur suis econnaissante. Pour mener bien la publication de ce livre, ai eu la collaboration du Dr R. J Hayes, bibliothécaire honoraire de la Chester Beatty Library ct biblithécaire en chef de la [National Library of Ireland. Ce fut pour moi une occasion rare et un réel phisir de connaitre le veritable irlandais, toujours prét 4 rendre service, et tout en méme temps savant et spirtue. Je li présente mes chaleureux remerclments. Barthe van Regemorter buaLIN, Junier 1960 Introduction ‘Many books have been published on the bindings of the various countries of Western urope and there are also some notable publications dealing with Islamic bindings, but there des not seem to be any work which surveys the bookbinder's art i all is forms throughout the oriental world. It is felt therefore that examples of the techniques used and the forms of decoration adopted throughout the whole of Asia and the countries cof Easter Burope and North Affica may prove of general interest. There is probably no library in che world where so many and such varied examples of bookbinding are to be fori asin the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, With soch a wealth of material available the greatest problems has been that of selection and many factors have had to be considered in choosing what to reproduce. Apart from artistic merit, there is the question of the development of technique, the infiuence of one civilisation on another and che illustration of the many varied forms of covering which have been ased to protect and to enhance the beauty of manuscripts and books of many shapes and kinds, "The art of the hookhinder progressed slowly at first and many centuties passed before really grcat arists in this craft appeared in Westem Europe but the East produced beautifl bindings at a very extly period “The oriental bindings of the Chester Beatty Library can be divided into three large sectious: Cluistian bindings of the near East (plates + to 14), Islamic bindings (plates 15 to 53) and the bindings of non-Lslamic Asia (plates $4 t0 70). Early Christian binding shows the very beginning ofthe art aud the frst stages of the development of its technique. his technique and the decoration which went with it soon spread through the whole Eastern Mediterranean basin, The eatlist known bindings came from Egypt, though itis not quite certain chat the crafe originated in chs country. The oldest binding in the Library is very probably the one reproduced on Plate 1. ‘This binding and that reproduced on Plate 2 have been described in a monograph published in 1958.+ Since the publication of this monograph Thave obtained « photograph of. carved stone sel (no. 13719) from the Greco-Roman ‘Muscam of Alexandria, Tt has the same design as the binding in Plate no. r. This stola is from the tomb of a corain Martha erocred in the vicinity of Alexandria in the 3ed century, and thus provides farther evidence to suppott the 3rd century date atsibuted to this binding. “The Syriac binding reproduced on Plate 3 (8) has been chosen because ofthe technique wed for the embossed swastika, The embossed leather on a cord glued to the board is T Cheer Beatty monographs no. 7 Berke van Regemariy, SOME EARLY BINDINGS FROM OWE, pp. HL «technique of the Near East and mos likely originated in Egypt. The embossed decora- ‘don of the binding of St. Cuthbeet’s 7th contory copy of the Gospel of St. John which thas been discused in ewo rcoent publications+ may well be attributed to a Coptic inuence. The rosace on dhe Armenian binding reproduced in Plate 3 (4) isa design quite ‘common on Armenian bindings. ‘Lhe origin of this roxce is very ancient and most likely Egypcian. ‘he Pierpont Morgan Tibrary hs a fine exaanple of this kind of decoration on its Coptic MS. 569 and decorations based on the same rosice are to ke found on a Syriac Bible in the Ambrosian Tikrary in Milan (MS. Syx. C. 303 inf) and. ‘on some Georgian MSS. ofthe Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai An inteest- ing feature of Armenian bindings isthe fap (Plates o and 1c) which covers the fore-edge ‘only. Very often dsps kept due book closed aud at die sanue time held the tap in position. The Armenians were fine acisrs and examples of ‘be seen in Paes 9, 1 and 12. There is no doube chat Greck bindings belong to the oriental group. Theie technique has its origin in the Coptic technique and the tools for decorating the covers with blind stamping very often remind us of the Fyptian onc. ‘Ube binding on Plate 4 has been chosen because de manuscript was written in Crete in dhe scriptorium erected there by Michael Apostolos and his son Arisobule in che sth century. This scriprorioms, lke many other Greek ones, may he regarded asa kind ‘of publisher’s office. Some ofthe semnps msod for blind stamping aud the general aspect ‘of the decoration are characteristic of the bindings of this famous centre which was active for over a centudy. Particular nosice should be taken of the triangle with a dragon and a small round stamp with a two-headed eagle at eich comer of the eiangle.* ‘The orienal influence in eurly Rusian binding appeats inthe we of igh headband similar to that of Greek and Armenian bindings. The nse of the Byzantine dating in Rossian religious books down to the 17th centiry should be noted in this connection. “The examples reproduced belong however toa later period. Some eypical Balkan details can he sen inthe reproduction of the Slavonic binding ‘Plate 6, the cro on a pedestal and a narrow and long lots flower in each comer. This samp may have been introduced through Greece hue the cross on the pedestal which is seen ako on Syriac and many Armenian bindings is unknown to the Greek binder. When a hellenist sees 2 Greek mannsctipt with tis design he may conclude that the volume has been bound or rebound in the Balkans il as slversmiths can 1 Ranh an Reyer: La AULLUEE DFS MAN USERITS DF ST, CULMBLAT FT DES. BONTEACE. Sctipainm il pp. 45 Reger Pewl: “the bading of dhe Stonyhurse Gonpe!” in the BaLtcS OF SAINT CUTURENT ok C.F Battscombe, Onford 1936 pp 362374 2 Berth on Rego: La eclue des manitie yee, Septoria VI pp. 1-22 ‘Marin Wok: Sey om mane of he sm rip, Serigrvioe Vit 391 ch hiopic bindings alo belong to the group of Christin bindings of the Near East. ‘The method of sewing used in them is of special interes and is reminiscent of the way the very early codices were sewn. The thread never goes from the bottom of the quire to the top but independent thrcads join the holes in the fold of the quite going in pairs; hole no. 1 and hole no, 2 would be joined by ove theead and hole no. 3 and hole ‘no. 4 would be joined by another thread and so on. This antique method has survived Sinto the roth century. ‘slamic bindings inchde chose from Egypr, Persia, Turkey, India and countries of North and West Aliica, The collection of Islamic Bindings in the Chester Beatty Tibraty is so rich chat che diffe was to decide what to omit All he differen kinds (of Lannie bindings are well represented, and chey are all in excelent condition. The carly bound Qurans are there, and the fine covers with interlacing so clever that they Took natural and easy, the deep-cat gil panels, the delicate igre leather work on coloured grounls which was its best in the rh century in Hert, the splendid lacquer coversfiom Persia and India! Admiing these bindings one can bat wonder at the power and the charm of Islamic art. Although based on geometrical forms, itis fll of poetry. “The mos: inticate inerlcing allows one to follow the top ofthe bottom meander st swll without losing the unity of the design. In some ofthe carly Islamic bindings (Plates 15 t0 10) there are doubres of thin tan leather with an over-ll embossed decoration of arsbesque rinceatx. [ti interesting to note thatthe design has heen created hy the impression of the sms block in sone cases as often as four times. Another point of technical interest in Ibi bindings is the ‘eiliod of producing a Blue colour. What as been described raore than once asa blue pigmeneis sometimes a kin of wax ofa dark blue colour which was applied in a semie liquid seate The bindings of nonlslamic Asia are represented by fine examples of Tibetan, Nepalese, Burmese, Mongolisn, Sizmese, Sithalese and Batak work, There ate only 3 {es bindings trom China and Jepan but chey are exceedingly rare and luxurious. The books from all hese areas were generally made of single leaves lid on one another, but ‘there areako many examples of parapaik books made fram one long shect folded accor- dion-wise, Therese palon-leaf book, the paper book and the book made from the bak cof certain ces, The palm-leaves were prepared with such care that they ate rigid without being brittle; some are lacquered and look as if they were made of copper, bur there are also books really made of copper leaves, ako liquered, so chat their weight alone indicates their composton. Examples ofall these kinds of books with dheit special bindings, will be found in Plates 5410 70. List of Bindings FRONTISPIECE vis 182, PERSIAN, 16th century. 349 mm. x220 mm, “This lequered binding appears to be later than che date (1509-10) of the manuscript to belong probably to the miele yeas of the x6ch century. Theee i flap and che vwhole surface of bot covers and fap is adorned with varied hunting scenes among tees and foliage, The border isin brown leather with small oraments in gold with Chinese style Shaped cloud forms in black. The two covers are different and the inside of cach is adomed with besuifal lather filigre work. PLATE 1 1s S11. COPTIC BINDING No. 11, 3rd ocamury ‘Tro wooden boards of plane-wood (platanus). Each booed is 9§ mn. high, #2 mm. wide, andl the thickness of the wood is 9 mam. for one board, 10 mm. for che other. (Chester Beatty Coptic bindings no. 12 and no. 10 are of the same type and design) PLATE 2 ys Sor. cowie BINDING No.t, jd or 4th centucy “There is only one wooden hoard of wala (uglas). eis 226 man, high and 132 mm. -wide, he ticks ofthe wood being 9 mm. The inside pact of the boards Hat, without a reces; a small groove 2:mm. deep) ent in the wood and rans parallel withthe edge (pines). PLATE 3 (9) Ms 578, ARMENIAN, 17¢h cencury. 175 mm. <130 sna. ‘Writeon im 1655 in Shosh (Ispahan). The plat shows the back cover of brown leather con very thin wooden boards with blind stamped decoration. The rosace of the design is characters. For farther details see the Introdaction. The double lined olive stamp, seen only on Armenian bindings, i also worthy of note (i) as 702. svat, 8th or oth centary. 255 mm. x 165 mm. [MS. in parchment ofthe 8th or oth century. Binding of thick brown leather on woowden ‘boards, the decoration beitg a swaslika embossed in che lether by means of a base of cord glaed to the wood; the four ends ofthe cord passthrough the wood and alchough hridden by the pasted end paper can be felt by pusing the fingots over them,