Scriptorium

As a scriptorium (Latin scriptorium ) is called since late antiquity resultant, usually located in monasteries writing rooms, where sacred and profane texts are also partially duplicated by hand. In the scientific literature scriptorium is used as a synonym of Writing for the operating there clerk, and to characterize the origin of their products, " manuscript from the scriptorium of ... "

The majority of the scriptorium was an integral part of a monastery, but there were also occasional secular writing workshops, but only in 14-15. Century increased in their distribution, as the demand for books increased. Klosterskriptorien work mainly in the early Middle Ages almost exclusively for the needs of their own institution or noble client.

With the establishment of printing with movable type, the culture of the scriptoria is almost completely replaced by the Typographeum.

Production steps

Before the start of production of a book of client specific execution and design of the book and placed partly also the sometimes very precious consumables ( eg, gold, pigments, etc. ) are available.

The write reason was tailored to the size of a double-page spread and the Skriptor - usually a monk - began with the line marking the write ground and lay there the line height and line boundaries fixed. Then the Skriptor started with the actual writing, but with leaving out the magnificent initial letters or only prefiguring. For large orders more clerk working in parallel on different sections of text or the relevant passage was loud dictated and written by several scriptores or copyist, so that was a lot of copies. Was the main text ready, the initial letters and other highlights were be added by rubricator. The painting of Borders and the further illumination of the site was then up to the illustrators. Schreiber and rubricator were there often one and the same person, while the combination recorder Illustrator was much rarer. In the majority, it was among the illustrators to specialized craftsmen.

The finished manuscripts are unique, that are ( in late antiquity ) or codices preserved in the form of rolls ( since the 5th century), and held in archives and libraries. The codices were produced by the bookbinders. Most 4-5 double pages have been merged into one layer and tied together the individual layers to form a book block. The protective cover was often made ​​of thin wooden boards, which were covered with leather.

Writing materials

Was written with the trimmed quills of feathers, especially goose quills, and different inks. One of the widespread inks were the

• Iron gall ink,
• The thorn bark and ink
• The carbon black ink.

The writing material papyrus came with the conversion to the codex form in 4/5 Century largely for books. Disuse, as it is for the formation of layers unsuitable and can only be used on one side, but remained for documents sporadically until the beginning of the 11th century in use Late Antiquity and medieval manuscripts were written on parchment, which was much more durable and rewritable. In the late 14th century then sat largely through the paper.