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Hidden Players: Small Paper Nails—Manufacture and Application of Paper Nails in Chinese Double-Leaved Books

  • Rong Yu , Zhewei Shen and Peng Liu ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: May 18, 2023
Restaurator. International Journal for the Preservation of Library and Archival Material
From the journal Restaurator. International Journal for the Preservation of Library and Archival Material Volume 44 Issue 3

Abstract

Paper nails constitute a unique and important structure in Chinese double-leaved books. This technique may have existed as early as the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D.1127–1279) when wrapped-back bindings developed. Creating and applying paper nails is a basic skill for conservators in China. Although paper nails have always been used, there is not much literature discussing their manufacture and application. This article details the use of single and double-ended nails in China, including how to make, attach, and remove them, and provides illustrative examples of the role of paper nails in thread binding, rough binding, wrapped-back binding, and “Jade Set in Gold” (“jinxiangyu”, 金镶玉) binding. This work will be a reference for the conservation of Chinese double-leaved books and other documents.

Zusammenfassung

Papiernägel sind eine einzigartige Technik, die in chinesischen doppelblättrigen Büchern eingesetzt wurde und wird. Sie wurden möglicherweise schon in der südlichen Song-Dynastie (1127–1279 n. Chr.) entwickelt, als der gewickelte Rückeneinband aufkam. Das Herstellen und Anbringen von Papiernägeln gehört zu den Grundfertigkeiten von Restauratorinnen und Restauratoren in China. Obwohl Papiernägel schon so lange in Verwendung sind, gibt es nicht viel Literatur, die sich mit ihrer Herstellung und Anwendung befasst. Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Verwendung von ein- und zweiseitigen Nägeln in China, einschließlich ihrer Herstellung, Anbringung und Entfernung, und liefert anschauliche Beispiele für die Rolle von Papiernägeln bei der Fadenbindung, der groben Bindung, der Rückenbindung und der “Jade-Bindung” (“jinxiangyu”, 金镶玉). Diese Arbeit kann in Zukunft als Referenz für die Konservierung und Restaurierung chinesischer doppelblättriger Bücher oder anderer Dokumente dienen.

Keywords: paper nails; Chinese bookbinding techniques; thread binding; “Jade Set in Gold” binding; wrapped-back binding; rough binding
Schlüsselwörter: Papiernägel; chinesische Buchbindetechniken; Fadenbindung; “Jade-Bindung”; gewickelte Rückenbindung; grobe Bindung
Corresponding author: Peng Liu, Institute for Preservation and Conservation of Chinese Ancient Books, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China, E-mail:

Funding source: Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China

Award Identifier / Grant number: 21YJCZH089

  1. Research funding: This research was supported by the Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (21YJCZH089).

References

Fang, X.-Y. E. A. 2013. History of Ancient Chinese Printing Engineering Technology. Shanxi Education Press.Search in Google Scholar

Li, Z.-Z. 2001. 500 Questions on the Knowledge of Ancient Book Editions. Beijing Library Press.Search in Google Scholar

Libraries, B. 2006. Conservation of Chinese Books. https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/about/libraries/our-work/chinese-books-conservation (accessed May 1, 2023).Search in Google Scholar

Martinique, E. 1973. “The Binding and Preservation of Chinese Double-Leaved Books.” The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy 43: 227–36. https://doi.org/10.1086/620151.Search in Google Scholar

Pan, M.-D. 2013. Restoration and Binding of Antiquarian Books (supplemental edition), 257. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House.Search in Google Scholar

Tong, Z.-Z. 2014. Antiquarian Book Restoration Techniques, 221. Shanghai: Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House.Search in Google Scholar

Zhu, S. 2001. Techniques of Restoration of Antique Books, 121. Beijing: Cultural Heritage Press.Search in Google Scholar
Published Online: 2023-05-18
Published in Print: 2023-09-26

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/res-2023-0003
Keywords for this article
paper nails; Chinese bookbinding techniques; thread binding; “Jade Set in Gold” binding; wrapped-back binding; rough binding

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Work
  3. Some Practical Aspects of Nanocellulose Film: Characterization, Expansion and Shrinking Tests, and Techniques to Create Remoistenable Nanocellulose
  4. Technical Note
  5. Hidden Players: Small Paper Nails—Manufacture and Application of Paper Nails in Chinese Double-Leaved Books
  6. Original Works
  7. Barriers to Preservation for Digital Information Resources in University Libraries of Pakistan
  8. Intelligent Repair Method for Archival Videos Based on the Super-SloMo Technology
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