For 250 years after its introduction to Europe around 1600, the method of decorating paper known as marbling reigned supreme as the chief means of embellishing the fine work of hand-bookbinders. Richard J. Wolfe reconstructs the rise and fall of the craft and offers the most comprehensive account available of its history, techniques, and patterns. A publication of the A.S.W. Rosenbach Fellowship in Bibliography Series

Paper marbling looks like magic. A marbler uses a brush to sprinkle pigments that float on a heavy solution. After manipulating the colors into a design with combs, the marbler sets a paper on top of the bath. The pattern reveals itself as the paper is pulled away. This process was shrouded in a level of mystery until the nineteenth century, when manuals and articles in periodicals began to explain marbling methods. A wave of new interest in the craft began in the 1880s, when authors no longer just broadly claimed to reveal secrets, but provided detailed guidance in conjunction with commercially prepared materials and tools. Hungarian-born marble and marbling supplier Josef Halfer offered specific, thorough advice in his manual The Progress of the Marbling Art, along with carefully formulated products for sale. Halfer’s approach to supplying scientific precision, adapted to marbling distributors, teachers and curious audiences in the United States, presented a special kind of demystification for professional bookbinders and novice marblers alike. Through contexts of bookbinding, manuals and lessons, technologies, and alternatives to hand-marbled paper, this study examines how specific instructions mediated a new, more clearly defined relationship between marblers and their materials.

Paper marbling is a beautiful craft with a long history that can be traced back to Japan in the twelfth century. This practical book introduces traditional patterns and explains the techniques that are used creatively today. It covers the history of marbling – from its origins in Japan to Persia, Turkey and then Europe in the seventeenth century. Details on equipment and materials are given along with what you need to get started and to set up a studio. The process from preparing the size, to adding the paints, creating the pattern and then treating the sheets is covered in detail. It introduces traditional patterns such as spot and combed patterns, as well as advanced techniques. Creative uses for marbling are given including step-by-step sequences for a range of projects. Making Traditional Marbled Papers is a visual treasure and shows how paper marbling can be practised and appreciated by all, from children to professionals.