Digital Imagine project 1
Manuscript analysis
Part One --- General info of the parchment
Page Two --- support material/ text/ shimmering bg
Page Three ---ruling/ human mark
Page Four --- human highlight in different color
Page Five --- red ink in text
Page Six --- correction and overwrite
Page Seven ---text with decoration
Page Eight --- more fancy text decoration
Page Nine --- flora decoration
Page Ten --- another red ink in text
Page Eleven ---the gold decoration
Page Twelve ---the mode
Page Thirthen --- thrimmer
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Page One
General Material Analysis: Book of Hours (15th Century, Low Countries)
1. Codicological Identity
• Title: Book of Hours
• Date & Region: 15th century, Low Countries (modern-day Belgium, Netherlands, northern France)
• Function: A personal devotional manuscript used for private prayer, often richly illuminated and decorated
• Size: Pocket-sized
2. Binding Materials & Decoration
• Material: Appears to be leather-bound, likely calfskin, which was commonly used in late medieval bindings (Texture & Quality: The grain and sheen suggest high-quality calfskin or goatskin)
• Original Binding Color: Deep purple with gold-tooled, hand-painted floral decorations.
• Decoration: Gold-tooled, hand-painted floral motifs, including gold vine and rose motif patterns
• Gilded Page Edges: The gold edges on the paper (also called gilded edges) serve both decorative and functional purposes and are a hallmark of luxury manuscripts and books — especially in Books of Hours.
!! ✒️ Pricking Analysis
• Observation: Upon close inspection of the page margins—particularly along the outer vertical and top edges—there are no clearly visible holes or indentations that would indicate obvious pricking marks.
• Lighting & Contrast: The parchment surface is evenly illuminated but does not show the sharp punctures or repeated tiny dots typical of pricking used to guide ruling in manuscript preparation.
• Folio Characteristics: The manuscript folio appears to be carefully trimmed, and any pricking that may have originally existed could have been cut off or smoothed out during rebinding or trimming.
since there are both the gilded page edge, thus it is not trimmed later.
• Bookmark: No bookmark is visible in the current binding, unlike some medieval books that included textile markers.
• Sewing & Binding Structure: The current white binding appears to be a modern conservation rebinding.
There are no visible traditional sewing supports (such as raised thongs or cords). Instead, it is likely that quires are sewn onto thin tapes or recessed cords, then glued into a case binding — a technique designed to preserve the structure while minimizing strain on the original materials.
3. Binding History
• Original Binding: Dark purple leather cover with decorative gold tooling
• Current Binding: Replaced with a white modern clamshell box for preservation
• Condition of New Binding: Excellent — clean edges and firm structure indicate modern conservation treatment
4. Analysis:
Possible Reasons Why the Edges Are More Faded:
• Light Exposure: Edges are more exposed when shelved or handled; UV light fades purple and red dyes
• Photodegradation: UV radiation degrades organic pigments, causing fading and desaturation at the periphery
• Handling & Friction: Frequent contact causes abrasion at the edges
• Drying & Oxidation: Edges may dry out faster, as the protective cover (case) only shields front/back, not edges
• Visual Contrast: The center panels retain a fresher, nobler purple due to reduced exposure
general history/ binding / identity