Sabine d'Angers

Sabine d'Angers attended Ursulmas A.S. XXIV / January 1990 with a gypsy friend and never looked back. (Although there was a hiatus from 2002 to 2009.) She resides in the shire of Shittimwoode and is known for her bookbinding. In A.S. XXXXIV Sabine became apprenticed to Maestro Eduardo Francesco Maria Lucrezia.

The Honorable Lady Sabine's device. Purpure, a mermaid in her vanity proper crined Or a ford proper. *Artist: Frederic Badger*

Current Projects

14th Century Girdle Binding

A Laurel scroll for Annisa Gabrielli, scribal work by Wynn Constantine, in a girdle binding. This is a thrilling collaboration with the immensely talented Lady Wynn Constantine. It was presented to Mistress Annisa at her elevation ceremony, May Crown 2010.

I've posted some photos of the mockup.

Elizabethan Working Woman's clothes

The corset is killing me (as in, "It's difficult to sew." It's actually surprisingly comfortable to wear). This is a pretty ambitious project since the only sewing I've done has been HEAVILY supervised. Me with a sewing machine solo is scary.

Smock / shift = Partlet - The partlet turned into a standing collar shift since there was not definitive documentation for partlets in this time and place.
Corset - hm. Finally finished this. Truly said it was a good first try and then we cut it up. Now to use it as a pattern!
Petticoat with bodies
Coif - Truly has given me a wonderful example AND a pattern. Yippee! Now I just need to MAKE one and then figure out how starched it needs to be for wearing...

Italian Renaissance Bookbinding

I'm working on a an Italian Renaissance RED binding! based on MAB9 from the Civica Biblioteca "Angelo Mai" - Bergamo. In 2001 I had visited a friend in Bergamo for a week or so and I spent the entire time in the library. Since I was sponsored by a citizen of the city, I was permitted to view the 'cassaforte' books (books in the safe). My father made detailed sketches, Marzio and Laura paid a photographer to take high quality photos, Marzio translated the catalog descriptions and I took less than detailed notes which have provided no end of interesting challenges.

Not only did I submit this book into the Kingdom Arts & Sciences competition, it is also meant to be an apprentice gift for my new master, Maestro Eduardo Lucrezia. He had asked me, an embarrassingly long time ago, to bind his collection of Madrone Culinary Guild booklets. I chose straight, packed sewing which had to be VERY packed because the 'quires' were so thick. My notes say that MAB9 has "elaborately braided endbands." After much research, I've decided that probably means there is a plain (linen) primary endband topped by a secondary braided silk endband. I'm working out the braiding method.

I've also trimmed the edges, another first and not so successful experiment. Sorry Maestro! Then I've gilded the edges, yet another first! I chose to do so since the covers of the booklets were colored and visible when the book is closed. I used a gold leaf paint for this first experiment.

This project is still in work.

Paste Reconstruction

I'm uber-jazzed about this one. I obtained a reproduction of the earliest illustrated bookbinding manual (De Bray, Dirk. 1658/1977. A Short Instruction in the Binding of Books followed by a Note on the Gilding of the Edges by Ambrosius Vermerck, trans. H. S. Lake. Amsterdam: Nico Israel.) In it I found mention of a 'stifsjel-doos' or 'starch box' used to store paste.

I've been curious about the various adhesives used during the bookbinding process. Wheat starch paste intrigued me most so I started investigating historical wheat cultivars. I have several questions: Was wheat starch used or wheat flour? Which wheat cultivar was most common? Does the wheat variety vary the adhesive property of the paste?

I discovered that the more common varieties during the 1500s in England were Rivet wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) and Common or Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). (Not Emmer as I previously thought.) I've obtained a small (10g) sample of Rivet wheat (it is no longer in wide-spread production). Since Rivet is a soft red winter wheat (SRWW), I've substituted modern cultivars of SRWW in my experiments. I also learned that Common wheat comes in both soft red winter (SRWW) and hard red winter (HRWW) varieties. So I've substituted modern bread wheat with modern SRWW for my experiments. AND I learned that starch was made either from wheat or from Rye (Secale cereale), so I've included Dark Rye flour in my experimentation.

Arts and Sciences: Competitions and Displays

An Tir Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XLIIII / 2010

I competed in the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XLIIII/2010 for overall champion. I didn't make it to the second day but I'm very proud of (most) of the work. I challenged myself with 3 entries.

Entries

Object: Italian Renaissance RED binding!
Object: Is it a Partlet or a Shift?
Process: Paste Reconstruction with Paste Box

An Tir Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XLIII / 2009

I competed in the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XLIII/2009 for overall champion and was chosen as the Laurel's Choice winner. I was also selected as a finalist - along with two Members of the Order of the Laurel, Jack Tyler (aka Dyon de Mantel) and Hlutwige Wolfkiller (how exciting is THAT?!?!?)

Entries

Object: Late 16th century binding - Dutch/German binding style, Latin text
Paper: Was Bookbinding Women's Work?

Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XXXV / 2001

In AS XXXV I competed in the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XXXV / 2001 with a single item, a 15th century hand-dyed and tooled book. I received the highest score for single item. {needs photo}

Artisan's Display at Coronation XXXIIII / 2000

This was a collaborative project with Miranda Katherina de Montpellier. She created the amazing calligraphy and illumination of Hildegard of Bingen's vision and the music which accompanied it. I simply put it in a box. On the table you can see a scroll on vellum with period inks and pigments by Isabella Lucrezia Veneziano Martini.

Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship XXXIII / 1999

This was a 15th century student's book, half bound in leather with oak boards.

Completed Projects

Most of my projects have been in the context of a display or an arts and sciences competition. I'm not particularly competitive but I DO need an external deadline to bump up against. Otherwise I just keep researching, researching and then researching some more. However, these projects were completed for reasons other than A&S.

Birthday gift for Antonio Cavaliere Sangomano - quarter bound oak/leather book with handmade brass clasps. (This was my FIRST medieval book!)
May Crown Tournament AS XXXII/1998 - small quarter bound leather covered oak board book as largess. Now serves as the royal signature book in Avacal.
Birthday gift for Steffano da Gucci al Khabeelah - quarter bound oak/leather binding of his pamphlets. This was the first book I bound that had content!
Quarter bound oak/leather binding of pamphlet series, "Early Period".
Book Box Collaboration with Miranda to create a book-shaped box which displays a two-sided scroll inside.
Gothic Book Workshop with Jim Croft.

Research

Again, most of my research has been in the context of displays or competitions. However, I did considerable digging into these topics for various reasons.

Coptic textiles and tunics: I have a considerable library and some original research from the V&A.
White books: the Dutch and German books absolutely intrigue me. The Dutch particularly were quite advanced in bookbinding technology and had a very distinct style. I own a couple extant examples.
12th century French garments: Images from statuary in Europe for clothing research.

Teaching

Clinton War

Introduction to Bookbinding

University of Ithra

Survey of European Bookbinding (3)
Bookbinding I (3)
Bookbinding II (3)
Introduction to Bookbinding (2)
History of Bookbinding (1)

Judging

Madrone A&S 3 Oct AS XLIV/2009: I was thrilled to be asked to judge at the Madrone A&S championship competition. Rather than "judging" per se, I really consider it an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with an expert or budding expert. I'm always impressed by the passion and knowledge of the artisans.

Awards

Forget-me-not | 28 Jun AS XXXII / 1997
Award of Arms | 10 Jan AS XXXII / 1998
Jambe de Lion | 4 Sep AS XXXIIII / 1999
Forget-me-not | 15 Jul AS XXXV / 2000
Magister University of Ithra - bookbinding classes
Forget-me-not | 13 Jan AS XXXV / 2001

I am very proud of having made it (back in the day) into Baron Steffano's Guide to Parties and Partiers: Being an examination of fun. by Baron Steffano da Gucci al Khabeelah. p. 10 "Sabine d'Angers - improbably lithe, Sabine has charms that soothe the savage beast. Or, at least one of the more notorious savage Sir beasts. It's a shame we can't bottle that magic, because with a rifle and some hypodermic darts we could calm this Kingdom right down."

Miscellanea

I made a very exciting discovery when researching wording for my apprentice scroll. The British Archives had two manuscript of ACTUAL indentures for apprentices to the Stationers' Guild (which included bookbinders). I obtained copies and Miranda Katerina is creating a scroll for me! I also read through the Rolls of the Stationers' Guild and learned that the new journeymen provided breakfast for the guild leaders on the day they purchased their contract.

For more about the Book Arts in An Tir, check out The College of Book Arts (Aelana Cordovera's brainchild).