University of Washington Digital Collections: Decorated and Decorative Paper Collection
Collection Principles
This digital collection comprises selections of decorative/decorated paper from found in various ephemera and book collections held by the UW Libraries Special Collections Division. It showcases a selection of decorated and decorative papers from Europe, primarily Germany, France and Italy, produced between the 17th and 19th centuries. Representative samples include "Western marbled paper, paste papers and decorative papers, such as Dutch gilt and lithographically or linoleum block printed paper. Some examples of Suminagashi are also included in the database.Selected paper samples in this digital collection include loose samples, as well as paper that has been used for the covers and endsheets of books.
The patterns and their techniques have been titled and described using a limited selection of authoritative resources found within the University of Washington Libraries collections. The two main references for marbling used are Richard J. Wolfe. Marbled paper : its history, techniques, and patterns : with special reference to the relationship of marbling to bookbinding in Europe and the Western world [1990], and The art of marbled paper : marbled patterns and how to make them by Einen Miura [1989]. As other resources and permissions become available, the collection will be updated to include modern marbling artists’ work."
Object Characteristics
According to the collection description, this digital collection was created using CONTENTdm JPEG 2000, which enables finely detailed materials, such as illustrations, to be displayed in a higher quality, more usable online format. It allows online visitors to view image details that would be illegible at the low resolutions used in most web interfaces. This software includes pan and zoom capabilities which allow a user to move in and out of an image and to move across the image to display the fine details which researchers need to be able to see clearly. The paper samples presented in this digital collection were scanned from original artifacts as TIFF files, manipulated in Adobe PhotoShop, loaded into the Contentdm JPEG2000, and linked with the descriptive metadata.
Metadata
There are several descriptive metadata fields associated with each files: Prominent and Secondary Pattern Type, Paper Process/Medium, and the Description Notes Field. The latter includes information such as:
- An explanation of the pattern name assignments by the our reference sources. In terms of hierarchy, of the four (Western) marbling texts, Wolfe provided the most comprehensive coverage followed by Miura, Schleicher and Maurer-Mathison. This hierarchy also decided which pattern name to use when there were conflicts between these four resources.
- Any type of historical information about the pattern itself such as approximate date of creation and/or creator.
- Relationships between patterns with explanations regarding their different characteristics or commonalities.
- Medium/technique notes. (For example, whether the item is oil marbling, its treatment, and/or how the pattern is created.)
- Paper color (if applicable), and primary colors in the pattern
- Whether paper is a second. A note of this kind indicates that the example is not of museum quality –a distinction made by the artist.
For an example item view, click here.
Intended Audience
Presumably, the target audience for this collection would consist mainly of those interested in decorative papers from an aesthetic perspective, for crafts purposes, or for researching trends in publishing styles broadly. For those looking to do more in-depth research as to the specific books from which the examples were taken will be disappointed. The metadata, while extensive, does not link to the particular volume or sources.
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