The Structure of Armenian Bookbinding and its Relation to Near Eastern Bookbinding Traditions

This dissertation consists of the examination and analysis of almost 250 Armenian manuscripts (of which 167 were tabulated into a spreadsheet program and are listed in Appendix 5) ranging in date from the 12th to late 19th centuries, in order to determine what type of bookbinding structure they were made with and what techniques were used to produce them. The sample was drawn from manuscripts examined in twenty-six libraries and private collections, listed in Appendix 1. This study shows that the Armenians used a particular combination of bookbinding techniques for at least four centuries, resulting in a distinctly "Armenian" form of the codex book. The characteristics and methods are described in detail in the order in which the book would have been constructed, along with explanatory diagrams and photographs of manuscripts examined. Until printing in the Armenian language became predominant, this style of binding underwent very little change over the centuries, even when the Armenians immigrated to diaspora lands (Iran, the Crimea, and Poland for example).

"These Armenian methods were next compared and contrasted with the traditional binding methods of neighboring cultures, such as Greek/Byzantine, Syriac, Georgian, and Islamic. A historical basis for the similarities and differences is given, along with a discussion presenting a possible evolution for the development of Armenian binding to its final form (which remained fundamentally unchanged, however, from at least the 14th to the 18th centuries). Possible connections with medieval European bookmaking practices which may have been introduced in Cilicia during the period of the Crusades are also discussed. A glossary of technical bookbinding terms, including the Armenian translation when available, is provided in Appendix 4 for readers unfamiliar with the vocabulary.