Double Wax Tablet (diptychon)
Wax tablets - including double ones, known as diptychon, were considered standard business equipment in ancient times! In antiquity, the wax tablet established itself as the optimal writing surface for simple notes or school exercises. The tumultuous history of the Roman Empire would likely have vanished into obscurity were it not for wax tablets that have survived to this day, bearing witness to their culture. The use of wax tablets dates back to the 5th century BC.
Wax Tablets - A Success Story
Even today, using a wax tablet is a true writing experience! That's why they are experiencing a renaissance among people with a sense for the extraordinary. Especially lovers of ancient cultures enjoy using an exceptional wax tablet even today. Not only does it feel great, but it also looks decorative!
- Two tablet sides, each 14x9 cm, bound
- With a natural cotton bag
- Roman ABC - writing template
Ancient wax tablets have a distinct advantage: Nothing on the wax writing surface is permanent! This Roman wax tablet (Latin: diptychon, tabula ceratae) is a tablet made of the finest beech wood, coated with beeswax. Wax tablets were used until the Middle Ages and were written on with a stylus (Latin: stilus) by scratching the letters into the wax layer.
Wax Tablet tabula ceratae
These are the Roman wax tablet books that have been found in large numbers. The very commonly used diptychon was bound with leather straps and compiled into a wax tablet book. The writable surfaces are filled with red beeswax and protected by folding the wax tablet together.
Tabula Rasa - also double!
In Roman times, the wax tablet was used as writing material for official correspondence as well as for private use. It was used for records that did not need to be permanent, such as bills, letters, or notes. The texts on the wax tablet could be revised or smoothed out with the back of the stylus at any time. Roman school education would also have been unthinkable without the Roman wax tablet.
The term tabula rasa, by the way, derives from smoothing the wax layer with the back of the stylus and thus means nothing other than to clean the tablet - in the sense of: start over.
Immerse Yourself in the Ancient Writing World in the Roman Shop
The diptychon, a Roman double wax tablet, was considered a practical notebook by the Greeks and Romans. And it can, of course, still be used for that purpose today! In our online shop, you will find such wax tablets, made exclusively from high-quality, natural, and authentic materials.
This includes robust beech wood as well as natural beeswax, which is used to prepare the writing surface. Additionally, the wax tablets are available in various colors and designs in the Roman shop - entirely according to purpose and preference. You will also find other necessary materials in the Roman shop to fully immerse yourself in the ancient world with writing tools. For example, instructions for crafting your own wax tablet!
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