Comments on: From Animal to Art: The Story of Parchment http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/ Tue, 21 May 2013 20:31:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Eric Hupe http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Eric Hupe Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:32:07 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/?p=854#comment-74 Dear Henk de groo, You raise many interesting points about parchment. There is indeed evidence of parchment being employed as far back as 1000 years BC; however it does not take hold as a primary writing substrate until the second century BC. As for as the distinction between vellum and parchment, today the two are now considered to be almost synonymous, even though vellum traditionally only refers to parchment made of calf. In fact many scholars nowadays refrain from using both words and instead refer to the material as “membrane.” For more information on parchment and the process of making it, I can refer you to two decent websites. The Getty’s exhibition website <em>The Making of the Medieval Book</em> features videos of the process and a website from the Central European University offers a more detailed textual description of parchment and its history. <a href="http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/making/" rel="nofollow">Getty</a> <a href="http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/parchment.html" rel="nofollow">Central European University</a> All the best, Eric Dear Henk de groo,

You raise many interesting points about parchment. There is indeed evidence of parchment being employed as far back as 1000 years BC; however it does not take hold as a primary writing substrate until the second century BC. As for as the distinction between vellum and parchment, today the two are now considered to be almost synonymous, even though vellum traditionally only refers to parchment made of calf. In fact many scholars nowadays refrain from using both words and instead refer to the material as “membrane.” For more information on parchment and the process of making it, I can refer you to two decent websites. The Getty’s exhibition website The Making of the Medieval Book features videos of the process and a website from the Central European University offers a more detailed textual description of parchment and its history.

Getty
Central European University

All the best,
Eric

]]> By: henk de groo http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/comment-page-1/#comment-67 henk de groo Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:11:59 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/?p=854#comment-67 Parchment was used more than 1000 year BC. Vellum can also be made also from goat and sheep. Parchment can be made from the skin of many animals, also from calf. Vellum is used by Englishmen. And mu experience is that they do not know a difference with parchment. In the rest of the world 'parchment' is used for this material. Pliny cited Varro. May be in a wrong way. And the etymology of parchment? The difficult is to see the difference between goat and sheep. Parchment was used more than 1000 year BC.
Vellum can also be made also from goat and sheep.
Parchment can be made from the skin of many animals, also from calf.
Vellum is used by Englishmen. And mu experience is that they do not know a difference with parchment.
In the rest of the world ‘parchment’ is used for this material.
Pliny cited Varro. May be in a wrong way.
And the etymology of parchment?
The difficult is to see the difference between goat and sheep.

]]> By: Eric Hupe http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Eric Hupe Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:12:19 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/?p=854#comment-63 Dear Bob, Thank you for your kind words. I am flattered, and most importantly happy that your friend enjoyed her time at the exhibition. Unfortunately, as of now I am not scheduled to give another gallery talk. However, the next talk will be given by the exhibition’s curator, Melanie Holcomb, on July 16th at 11:00am. If you cannot attend that session there are others to choose from just check the museum's calendar. (This link should direct you to the Pen and Parchment section of the calendar: http://www.metmuseum.org/search/iquery.asp?c0=t:8//:ssl//sitemap%20taxonomy//:Calendar:&c1=dt:8//eventStartDate//:gte//2009..06..09&command=text&attr1=penparchment&t=0&w=on&domains=general:sitemap%20id) I hope you make it to the galleries and thanks again. All my best, Eric Dear Bob,
Thank you for your kind words. I am flattered, and most importantly happy that your friend enjoyed her time at the exhibition. Unfortunately, as of now I am not scheduled to give another gallery talk. However, the next talk will be given by the exhibition’s curator, Melanie Holcomb, on July 16th at 11:00am. If you cannot attend that session there are others to choose from just check the museum’s calendar.
(This link should direct you to the Pen and Parchment section of the calendar: http://www.metmuseum.org/search/iquery.asp?c0=t:8//:ssl//sitemap%20taxonomy//:Calendar:&c1=dt:8//eventStartDate//:gte//2009..06..09&command=text&attr1=penparchment&t=0&w=on&domains=general:sitemap%20id)

I hope you make it to the galleries and thanks again.

All my best,
Eric

]]> By: Shavonne Bell http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Shavonne Bell Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:49:12 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/?p=854#comment-60 Bob, The next gallery talk for this exhibition is July 16 at 11am. Bob,

The next gallery talk for this exhibition is July 16 at 11am.

]]> By: Bob Lobou http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/07/from-animal-to-art-the-story-of-parchment/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Bob Lobou Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:45:49 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/?p=854#comment-53 Eric, A friend of mine recently attended your tour of the Pen and Parchment exhibit and raved about your presentation. Now I would like to hear it for myself. Can you tell me when you will conducting another tour of the exhibit? Eric,
A friend of mine recently attended your tour of the Pen and Parchment exhibit and raved about your presentation. Now I would like to hear it for myself. Can you tell me when you will conducting another tour of the exhibit?

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