Medieval Scribes,Tools, & Practices A collection of authentic medieval tools used in all aspects of the scribe's work. This collection, originally organized by Alan Cole, belongs to the Museum of Writing Research Collection, Institute of English Studies, University of London, and is housed in the Senate House Library.

Exhibit Contents:

Exhibit Home

1. Book Mounts/Clasps

2. Page Marker

3. Reading Pointer

4. Seals

5. Rowels

6. Line Marking Frame

7. Sander (or Pounce Pot)

8. Tweezers

9. Pricker

10. Leads

11. Quill Pens

12. Four-flanged Pen

13. Stylus

14. Penners

15. Firelighter Iron

16. Tooth Burnisher

17. Medieval Inks

18. Lead Inkwell

19. Inkhorn

Title Book Mounts/Clasps

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Brief description Little information is provided by Alan Cole about the book mounts (or book clasps) in this collection. There are three of them: one in the shape of a wolf’s head, one an armorial lion, and the other decorative. All are made of bronze. These items are examples of book mounts, which were (and still are) metal fittings attached to the boards of a book’s binding after it had been covered in leather or fabric. The fittings served two purposes—some pieces were ornamental, while others were put to practical use as clasps, which were “attached to the boards at the fore edge of a binding in order to hold the book shut and to preserve the parchment. Clasps became popular during the fourteenth century, initially as a combination of metal fittings and leather straps and then entirely of metal.” Brown, Michelle P. Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms. Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 1994.

Contributor: Courtney Killian

Contribution date: Winter 2014