Make 18th Century Marbled Paper

To save money binders started to use marbled or decorated paper sides.

Make 18th century marbled paper.

Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other kinds of stone. A double marble is created when after the first desired pattern is completed and the paper dried the same paper is again treated with alum and marbled with the second pattern over the top of the first. A double marble is created when after the first desired pattern is completed and the paper dried the same paper is again treated with alum and marbled with the second pattern over the top of the first. The first instance of double marbling was seen in the 17th century.

England and america took up the craft towards the end of the century. Make sure to mark the side that you sprayed because it can be hard to tell once it s dried. The golden age of marbling. Following the lead of france and germany other european countries began marbling papers around the mid 18th century.

Muira pgs 120 121. Back then a tree resin based surfactant was dropped into a pan of water. The first instance of double marbling was seen in the 17th century. The spanish pattern was created at the beginning of the 17th century.

Schleicher pgs 130 131 view examples. Lay flat to dry. How to make marbled paper. Elaboration and simplicity binders began to make shortcuts in the binding process to both save money and increase production.

Let the mixture cool and spray a thin layer onto your cotton paper. Well made 18th century books fare surprisingly better than many 19th century books due to the use of rag paper over wood pulp paper. The uses of paper marbling. Sewing is now on recessed cords to give the spine a smooth appearance increasing the type of decoration which could be used.

The oldest known form of paper marbling called suminagashi which translates to floating ink originated in japan around the 10th century though historians believe that it could be even older than that. Schleicher pgs 130 131 view examples. Through several centuries people have applied marbled materials to a variety of. First prep your paper.

The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface such as paper or fabric. Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries marbled papers were the endpapers of choice for finer bindings. Add 2 tablespoons of alum and mix well. Fill a spray bottle with warm water.