Heythrop Library

I was drawn in by the labyrinthine marbling of this book (volume 5) in Heythrop Library’s collection:

Inks in red, black and yellow have been swirled densely to create a dreamlike design that your eye can become lost in.

As someone who admires decorated paper, I did some research to learn more about the history of marbling…

Marbled paper bindings have unique patterns that result from hand-made paper marbling. In China and Japan, this artform, known as suminagashi, dates to the 12^th century – washi paper would be lain on water that had swirling ink floating on its surface. By the late middle ages, a marbling process had developed in Persia and Turkey known as ebru, whereby coloured paint was sprinkled onto oily water and then transferred to paper.

From the 16^th century onwards, paper marbling became more prominent in bookbinding in Europe and the Americas, and was still largely handcrafted in the 19^th century. Marbled paper was used to cover a book’s boards, and for its edges and endpapers.

Different marbled patterns could be created depending on how much paint was dropped into the liquid, the addition of other colours, and the decision to freestyle or use tools like combs to manipulate the ink’s movement. Some patterns became so established that they had identifying names, such as snail or Spanish wave.

To learn more about the history of marbled paper, click here for a fascinating blog post from the V&A.

NH