Paper marbling

As marble paper (also: marbled paper, Turkish paper, Venetian paper; Turkish ebru and Persian abri ) is defined as decorated with various special process of hand sheets of paper that increased since the 18th century, but also in part today as a coating material for hand- bound books, as endpapers, were used for the lining covers of containers and office furniture. Recently, they are used as wrapping paper ( reprints of originals ) separated again in use.

Production

The production of traditional handmade marbled paper, which was already known in the year 1000 in Japan, similar to a marble -section. A shallow pool is filled with the so-called sizing; this is a jelly that (also carrageenan moss, Chondrus crispus ), or by a solution of methyl cellulose in water is prepared by dissolving gum tragacanth in water, boiling of Irländischem moss. The coating is scraped off. Now the Leimbades watercolor paints are applied to the flat surface, which are mixed with ox- gall. This addition serves to reduce the surface tension of the ink so that it can spread to the surface of the wash. The color can not mix with itself or the other colors because of the consistency of the size. Therefore, the colors can now be brought into ornamental Schlieren patterns with different techniques, similar to the partial natural marble - hence the name, marbled paper '. Now a heavy sheet of paper which was previously stained with alum water, placed carefully on the glue bath and then lifted off again. The paint sticks to the paper. Then the remains of the sizing be rinsed with water. The mordant with alum solution is to ensure that the color will not mitabgespült in rinsing the glue residue. The color combines with the subsequent drying permanently to the paper.

In addition to the traditional production with watercolor paints can be marbled with oil colors. This technique allows even without a jelly as a base in a water bath to bare marble. However, the results generally remain well behind those of the marble paper on the basis of watercolor paints, as the pattern of the paper can not be so largely control as in the traditional manufacturing. With oil colors marbled papers in particular have a specific granular appearance that does not meet the fineness of a marble on watercolor paper base. In this case, one also speaks of Öltunkpapieren.

Species

Depending on the way in which the colors (syringes, Dot, spraying, etc.) and the subsequent treatment gives rise to various ornaments. Especially typical are spotted patterns that real marble come closest, as well as wave-like patterns that occur when you move a comb through the color layer (so-called comb - marble). Also whirling motion whisked etc. variants occur; ultimately the imagination are almost no limits. From Turkey comes about the custom to draw flowers pictures on the glue. The term Ebru is also used as the specific name patterns of the latter technique. By controlled movement of the paper upon application to the size of the pattern can be influenced in a specific form. Here, dark stripes that break through the other marble pattern regularly (Spanish sample ) result.

In the Vienna Art Nouveau artists Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Leopold Stolba developed the technology to discover the meaning of the Klecksographie figures in the marbling or to hide, so that coincidence and imagination unfold a particular game.

Marble paper is a high quality finished paper: Each sheet represents one of a kind, as not to repeat the pattern exactly even with the same procedure; In addition, also occurs within an arc on an exact repeat of the pattern, as is the case with other decorative techniques. Marble paper was prepared as a coating material and endpapers for books earlier in Europe and used, especially in England. Today, marble papers, particularly in England, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy but produced and sold manually in America, where the Marmorierwerkstätten in Venice are most present in the public perception. In addition to the real marble paper, there are also cheap imitations that reproduce the pattern in ordinary color printing.

Examples

Book with typical simple marble paper, bound in France around 1825

Marbled paper from cover and intent of a book, England in 1830

Marbled paper from cover and intent of a book in England around 1830 ( detail)

Marbled paper from the intent of a book, France 1880

Marbled paper from the intent of a book in France around 1880 ( detail)

Marbled intent of a book Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt (Stuttgart) in 1900

Marbled paper from the cover of a special edition of the Island Library, Germany 1921

Tunkpapier, combed, Contemporary according to traditional standards

Tunkpapier, combed, fantasy pattern by Michel Duval †, Paris, about 1985

Comb marble with snails by Michel Duval †, Paris, about 1985