Vellum
From Free net encyclopedia
Vellum (from the Latin for "wool" or "pelt") is a sort of parchment, a material for the pages of a book or codex, characterized by its thin, smooth, durable properties. Originally, the material was made from calf skin, but modern vellum is usually made out of cotton. The term can also refer to a manuscript or book written on such material. Image:1638vellumlarge.jpg
Vellum was originally a translucent or opaque material produced from calfskin that had been soaked, limed, and unhaired, and then dried at normal temperature under tension, usually on a wooden device called a stretching frame. However, animal vellum can include any material made from calfskin, sheepskin, or virtually any other skin obtained from a relatively small animal, e.g., antelope. Some authorities do not even distinguish between vellum and parchment, although traditionally the former was made from an unsplit calfskin, and consequently had a grain pattern on one side (unless removed by scraping), while the latter was produced from the flesh split of a sheepskin, and consequently had no grain pattern. The important distinction between vellum (or parchment) and leather is that the former is not tanned but is prepared essentially by soaking the skin in lime and drying it under tension.
Most medieval manuscripts, whether illuminated or not, were written on vellum. Uterine vellum was made in the 13th and 14th centuries from the skins of still-born or even unborn animals.
Limp vellum or limp-parchment bindings were used frequently in the 16th and 17th centuries, and were sometimes gilt but were also often not embellished. In later centuries vellum has been more commonly used like leather, that is, as the covering for stiff board bindings. Vellum can be stained virtually any color but seldom is, as a great part of its beauty and appeal rests in its faint grain and hair markings, as well as its warmth and simplicity.
Lasting in excess of 1000 years, animal vellum can be far more durable than paper. For this reason, many important documents have been written on animal vellum, such as diplomas. Indeed, referring to a diploma as a "sheepskin" alludes to the time when diplomas were written on vellum made from animal hides.
Today, due to low demand and complicated manufacturing process, animal vellum is expensive and hard to find. A modern equivalent is made out of cotton. Known as paper vellum, this material is considerably cheaper than animal vellum and can be found in most art and drafting supply stores. Usually translucent, paper vellum is often used in applications where tracing is required, such as architectural plans.