Ethiopian Codex and Traveling Case

The traditional method of binding books in Ethiopia survived relatively unchanged for over a thousand years. It is one of the oldest methods of binding with wooden boards and was used for devotional texts, and recently inspired the sewn boards binding. This workshop will yield a flexible non-adhesive book that opens fully. Wooden panels will be drilled and shaped to give smooth book boards. The signatures will be sewn with a linking chain stitch employing pairs of sewing stations, and the sewing will go directly into the boards to form the attachment. Thongs will be added to the boards to secure the book's closure. Although they were often left bare, the boards can also be covered in leather, and have braided leather endbands, for a more luxurious book. The covers can then be decorated with religious designs. The protective case is a shoulder bag made from leather. It has a long strap that allows the owner to keep the book ready to hand. This flexible yet sturdy case will be made from only three pieces of leather, sewn together with a strong thread. The simplicity of the case elegantly complements the beauty of the Ethiopian Codex.

Materials to bring: bone folders, sewing needles, scalpel, cutting mat, dividers, metal ruler, pencil, scissors, and if you have them: hand drill and thin bits, Japanese screw punch.

Materials fee: $60

Date & Time: Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28 | 9:30am-5:30pm

Prerequistes: None

Note: Please review our Registration Policies before signing up for a class

About the Instructor | Michael Burke

Michael Burke studied bookbinding with Dominic Riley and paper conservation with Karen Zukor. Michael lives in the Lake District, England, where he teaches bookbinding as well at events across the UK. He is a past chair of the North West and North Wales region of SoB. He has taught for diverse book arts groups in the USA, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City. In recent years he has taught at the Paper and Book Intensive, travelled to São Paulo to teach for the Brazilian group ABER, and in 2011 presented Byzantine binding at the Seminar of the Guild of Bookworkers. Michael researches the structures of ancient and medieval bindings. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in the History of the Book at the University of London.

Past Student Reviews

"This is a brilliant class!"

"Superb teacher; excellent instruction that was always clear and pertinent, friendly to everyone"

"Michael is a gem of a teacher! I always love to take his classes!"

"So organized, excellent clear explanations, superb teacher, great that materials were well prepared"

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