Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $400
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Masks are no longer required for workshops, though anyone is welcome to wear one if they wish.

Ethiopian binding is one of the oldest methods of binding with wooden boards, was used for devotional texts, and more 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.

>> Prerequisite: None <<

Materials to Bring: Students with their own bookbinding tools should bring them to class.

Optional if you have them:

• Hand drill with thin bits
• Japanese screw punch

Date & Time: Saturday & Sunday, August 3 & 4, 2024 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

NOTE: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
 

About the Instructor | Michael Burke (he/him)

Michael Burke studied bookbinding with Dominic Riley and paper conservation with Karen Zukor. Michael lives in 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 and received his Masters degree in the History of the Book from the University of London in 2011.

Michael and Dominic are co-founders of Book Camp, an immersive residential bookbinding experience which aims to teach new generations of binders.

Past Student Reviews:

 “Very satisfying to make a complete set! I loved working with wood and leather as well. The other students and Michael were great.”

“Michael's enthusiasm is infectious. His ability to bring to life historical structures and the larger context of their production is a treat rarely to be savored in these types of workshops.”