Parchment - genuine whole animal hide
The data carrier of the past
We owe most of our present-day knowledge of the past to chroniclers from antiquity through the late Middle Ages. They wrote their chronicles on durable parchment and leather. Unlike delicate papyrus, parchment is made from animal hides (leather). The exact date of the oldest parchment finds is debated. Undisputed, however, are finds from around 2700 BC in Egypt. Valuable manuscripts and texts are preserved on this precious material of antiquity. It consisted—and still consists today—of the skins of calves, cattle, sheep, and goats. These hides were cleaned and processed. That parchment was valuable is evident from the fact that it was reused; this was done by simply scraping off the texts.
Parchment, the versatile all-rounder
For many centuries, parchment was a sought-after trade good as a writing material. But it was used not only for writing, but also as a translucent windbreak in window openings, for drumheads, and as a covering for shields, whose wood often splintered under sword blows. To this day it is used in the manufacture of wooden prostheses.
- whole hide approx. 80 x 60 cm
- minimum size; each piece is naturally slightly different
-
cleaned and sanded
- writable on one side
- approx. 1–2 mm thick
- you will receive a whole roll / hide
- genuine goat parchment
Unique variety
Parchment is a natural material. Therefore, due to the manufacturing process, the surface is not as smooth as paper and may show scars and irregularities. These one-of-a-kind surfaces are precisely what make this material from antiquity so appealing today. It is relatively easy to work with and, for example, turns prints—despite their quantity—into unique pieces.
Design in a historically modern way
Especially in art classes, real parchment lets you show students that you have great confidence in their abilities. This motivates students and spurs them to strong performance. The history of parchment is also interesting. The fact that its manufacturing process has changed little over almost 5,000 years is fascinating.
Natural hide - unique manufacturing
With these parchments, the shape is somewhat more irregular and the parchment may have small holes along the edges. The parchment edges are sometimes straightened with a knife and/or show irregular coloration.
One of the oldest materials for writing
The oldest parchment finds are dated by archaeologists to 2700 BC from Egypt.
Only towards the end of the Middle Ages was parchment finally replaced by cheaper paper, becoming a luxury writing material.
The great advantage of parchment over other materials lies in its long durability and the fact that it can be reused multiple times. By scraping off earlier writing with a pumice stone or a penknife, the surface becomes clean again.
Parchment consists of an animal hide, generally from goat or sheep, from which hair and flesh residues are removed using limewater and scraping knives. In contrast to leather, parchment is not tanned and therefore remains translucent—i.e., semi-transparent skins.
Pliny the Elder on parchment
As Pliny the Elder reports, in the 2nd century BC there was a dispute between King Eumenes II of Pergamon and Pharaoh Ptolemy Epiphanes over who possessed the largest library of the time. Pharaoh Ptolemy issued an export ban on papyrus, the most commonly used writing material in antiquity, to prevent Eumenes from surpassing the Egyptian library in Alexandria. In response, parchment was developed in Pergamon as a practical and soon even superior alternative to papyrus and was used successfully. The name "parchment" is thus derived from the city of Pergamon. Although it was not invented there, its quality was significantly improved and it was further developed into a true replacement for papyrus, as it could be produced locally and did not need to be imported.
Parchment permanently replaced papyrus as a writing material because it was more flexible and more durable. In addition, parchment can be reused several times by sanding down the top layer with pumice or a scraping iron. Because parchment is translucent, lamps and windows were also made with parchment in the Middle Ages.
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