The making, use and trade of manuscripts was an important part of Islamic culture, and the technical developments highly influenced the making of books in the west from the later medieval period onward. When dominance of powers shifted, the perception of the Islamic manuscript tradition also changed. While intricately embellished bindings continued to receive attention, the majority of manuscripts were usually not studied as artefacts. Yet there is much to be learned from the methods and materials used to make these objects, and the traces of use that history left in them.
Dr Karin Scheper, Conservation Specialist, Leiden University Library, and Bahari Visiting Fellow at the Bodleian Libraries
