The manuscript CUL Add. 4080, Preces et Meditationes is a delicate devotional text thought to originate from the Cistercian convent of Medingen, near Lüneburg Heath in North Germany. This manuscript’s binding, remarkable for its age, displays sophisticated craftsmanship and structural ingenuity. It features a textile lining and alum-tawed skin, dyed red, stretched over bevelled oak boards. Adorned with brass fittings and intricate blind tooling, the binding is both functional and decorative. The secondary braided endbands, an exquisite early example of a technique that would later become prevalent in Northern European bindings of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, add both structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.

In this course, participants will recreate the binding using authentic materials and traditional methods. Led by the tutor, they will sew the text block, add primary and secondary endbands, shape and attach the oak boards, and cover the binding in alum-tawed skin stained red using period techniques. Participants will also apply brass fittings and tooling, closely mirroring the historical model.

WHEN: December 2nd through December 6th from 9:00am to 5:00pm 2024 (5 days session)

LOCATION:The CODEX Foundation Logan Book Arts Center
1331 7th St., Unit C; Berkeley, CA 94710 .

COST: Member Price: $950, which includes a $50 materials fee Non member Price: $1150, which includes a $50 materials fee

Scholarship Price: $500, which includes a $50 materials fee. Please note that the scholarship covers half the tuition for your class, or $450. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.

PREREQUISITES:

• Mid career Bookbinders.

• Ability to independently fold, press and sew textblock to Instructors specifications.

• Ability to work with wooden boards, brass and blind tooling.

MATERIALS TO BRING: He asks you to bring cut and folded paper for the text block. You will be emailed the details and the tools needed by the instructor

DIRECTIONS: The CODEX Foundation Flex Space is a 30-minute walk from North Berkeley BART, or an 8-minute walk from the #72 San Pablo Avenue bus lines. If you need to drive, carpooling with other students is encouraged. There is street parking available.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Due to the tight timeframe of this workshop, we cannot offer refunds for cancellations. The Hand Bookbinders of California may need to cancel this workshop in case we do not have at least 5 students; the last possible date we would cancel is November 18. In case of cancellation, we will issue refunds on the 18th to anyone who has registered. We are grateful to the instructor to offer this workshop as part of other professional travel on such short notice.

Instructor Bio: Shaun Thompson is a Conservation Manager at Cambridge University Library, specialising in the care and repair of manuscripts and printed books. Shaun’s research interests include early European book structures, the history of books, their structural qualities and the materials and sophisticated technology used to create them. As a dedicated advocate for book and paper conservation in the heritage sector, Shaun has made significant contributions to the field, including his work as a teacher and mentor to conservation students in the UK and abroad. He has taught at leading conservation schools such as West Dean College of Arts, City and Guilds London School of Art, University of Amsterdam and the Montefiascone Conservation Project in Italy.