Workshop 2010 - Patmos Workshop

Workshop 2010 - Patmos Workshop

Workshop 2010

Two 5-day long seminars on book conservation and historic bindings will be held in Patmos during September 2010.
The workshops will be held at a traditional stately Patmian house adjacent to the monastery of St John Theologian.

MAKING BYZANTINE ENDBANDS
(Tutor: Dr George Boudalis)
Date: 30 August - 3 September 2010 | Maximum class number: 12 | Course fee: 500 €
The aim of this 5-day practical course is to demonstrate the characteristics of endbands in the context of Greek-style Bindings and make clear their structural and decorative role. An introductory lecture will explain their evolution in time and place, their classification and terminology and various examples shown and explained through photographs and real books from the library’s collection. Throughout the course at least 8 different types of endbands will be reproduced both simple and compound, with or without cores and with or without further decorative sewing, from the very simple to the more complicated, all encountered on Greek-style bindings from the 10th to the 17th century.

The similarities and differences with both the Western European endbands and those of other Eastern binding cultures such as the Arabic, Syriac and Georgian will be also discussed and explained.

BYZANTINE-STYLE MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATIONS ON PARCHMENT
(Tutor: Evangelos Zournatzis)
Date: 6 - 10 September 2010 | Maximum class number: 12 | Course fee: 500 €
During this 5-day course we will be dealing with all aspects of drawing, transferring, and painting an illumination on a prepared parchment folio. Following the traditional techniques of Byzantine illuminators and employing materials, inks and pigments as close to the original as possible, the participants can expect to become familiar with the process of preparing the parchment skins and painting an illumination. Several technical details pertaining to the facture of Byzantine illuminations will be discussed, alongside the aesthetics that rule their making, the particularities of the materials that affect their condition, and the requirements for their correct preservation.

Courses structure

Classes will be starting at 09.00. There will be a coffee break in the morning and a lunch break at 13.00. Classes continue after lunch until 15.30. After the classes there will be enough time to explore the island, enjoy the beaches and the sea, visit the cave of the Apocalypse or walk around the beautiful village of Chora. The classes are open to 12 individuals from the fields of book conservation, bookbinding, librarianship or palaeography and those interested in the history and the making of the book. Since these are not beginner-level courses, the participants are expected to be familiar with bookbinding terminology and have a basic knowledge of the history of book production in the periods under discussion. Good bookbinding skills are essential for the practical workshops.

Applications
The deadline for applications is the 31st July 2010. Applications for the courses should be made by email to Nikolas Sarris (info@patmosworkshop.com) with the subject “Patmos Bookbinding Workshops 2010”. The applicant must state the course/s he/she is interested in attending as well as a short biography, showing relevant experience with the subjects of the courses.

Time Table
Tutor Course Duration
Dr George Boudalis Making Byzantine Endbands 30 Aug-3 September
Evangelos Zournatzis Drawing Byzantine-style Illuminations on Parchment 6-10 September


The Tutors
Dr George Boudalis Evangelos Zournatzis
Dr Georgios Boudalis is a book conservator working at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. He has been a team leader and participant in various assessment visits in the context of the St Catherine’s Library Conservation project. His PhD focused on the evolution of binding structures in Greek-Orthodox monasteries in the post-Byzantine period and he is currently working as a co-editor on the Ligatus Bookbinding Glossary project.
Workshops' organiser
Nikolas Sarris
Nikolas Sarris is the supervisor of the book conservation studio at the monastery of St John Theologian, Patmos. He has worked as a book conservator at the British Library (2004-06) and at the UCL Strange Print Room. He collaborates with the Ligatus Research Unit on research related to the St Catherine’s Library Conservation Project since 2001 and with the Thesaurus Foundation for the survey and conservation of the manuscripts at the National Library of Egypt, Cairo. He is currently also undertaking an A.H.R.C. (Arts and Humanities Research Board) funded PhD with the title: ‘Classification of Finishing Tools in Byzantine/Greek Bookbinding: Establishing Links for Manuscripts from the Library of the St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt.