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52 The parchment of the Vienna Genesis: characteristics and manufacture
with the flesh side of the parchment outermost and following Gregory’s rule through the
whole quire. The reconstruction of the number of missing bifolios was beyond the scope
of this project. Identification of the hair and flesh sides of the folios was based on the
observation and comparison of three different features. The first is that the hair and flesh
sides of purple parchment vary in colour. Because of the differences in texture between the
two sides, the colour of the hair side is always more intense, while the flesh side is paler.
The second feature is the natural behaviour of the parchment, which is caused by different
tensions between the hair and flesh side of the skin. When unrestrained the flesh side of
the parchment is convex, while the less elastic hair side is concave34. The third feature, and
the most commonly used, is the identification of the side that has a hair follicle pattern.
None of these methods were easy to use on the parchment of the Vienna Genesis. Due
to natural ageing and former treatments the parchment is now so transparent that it is
difficult to properly identify the hair and flesh sides of the skin. With the more problem-
atic folios it was helpful to compare the hair and flesh sides of those that were originally
conjoint, knowing how the bifolio would have been oriented in the quire. By employing
all methods of observation reliable results were obtained that were then recorded in the
scheme of reconnected folios (Fig. 14). Folio 1 is a singleton and the only remaining folio
of the first quire. Folios 2 and 3 form a bifolio and were part of the second quire. Folios 4
and 5 form a bifolio and are from the third quire, while folios 6 and 7 form a bifolio in the
fourth quire. Folio 8 is a singleton again and part of the fifth quire. Folios 9 and 10 were
also a bifolio and were from the sixth quire. Folios 11 and 14 and folios 12 and 13 each form
bifolios and were part of the seventh quire. Folios 15 and 16 form a bifolio and were from
the eighth quire, while folios 17 and 18 form a bifolio from the ninth quire. Folios 19 and
22 and folios 20 and 21 form bifolios and can be traced back to the tenth quire. Quire 11
is missing, while folios 23 and 24 form the last bifolio and are from the twelfth quire. This
scheme confirms the scheme of Mazal.
In the case of parchment prepared in the Late Antique style it is almost impossible to
identify the type of animal breed that was used, based on observation of the hair follicle
pattern. The main reason is that the top layers of the skin, the epidermis and papillary lay-
ers, are completely removed during the process of manufacture. With these steps most of
the hair follicle pattern is lost as well the pigmentation around the roots of the hairs, and
this results in an even texture and colour on both sides of the parchment. The only places
where the hair follicle pattern is slightly preserved, and therefore is still visible, are the areas
of the former flanks and the belly. Most of the sheepskin (neck, shoulders and posterior) is
covered by wool bundles, but on the belly and the axillae (armpits) a different type of hair
34 Bischoff, 1990, p. 9.
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Titel
- The Vienna Genesis
- Untertitel
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Herausgeber
- Christa Hofmann
- Verlag
- Böhlau Verlag
- Ort
- Wien
- Datum
- 2020
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Abmessungen
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Seiten
- 348