Books and Bindings

Early Islamic book bindings consisted of wooden boards covered with leather, with leather straps to hold the book closed. The leather is usually decorated with tooling, a technique in which a pattern is carved or stamped with a metal tool into damp leather. By the 11^th century, wooden boards had been superseded by pasteboard, which sometimes comprised recycled paper from other manuscripts. Blind tooling (without gold infill) was still used to decorate the leather.

From the 15^th century, blind and gold tooling was found on bindings, which frequently feature medallions and cloud-scroll motifs. A feature specifically associated with Islamic bindings is the flap, attached to the back cover, which when folded inside the front cover protects the front edge of the book, rather like a box. Books were traditionally stacked in piles rather than arranged side by side.

Later examples of lacquer painted bindings, with a papier-mache  base and miniature paintings featuring birds, flowers and landscapes, are painted with a layer of brilliant varnish, showing the influence of Chinese ‘qiangjin’ lacquer.

In the late 18^th and 19^th centuries, many Ottoman and Indian leather bindings were painted with gold or silver, marbling or decorated with jewels and metalwork, creating exquisite book bindings.

Source:- “The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture” by Nasser D. Khalili.

Photo above:- Ottoman Turkish decorated leather book binding of ‘Nusretname’ – a history book, 1584 CE. Source:- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture.