The Marbler

      As an art form​, marbleizing, or marbling, originated in Persia or Turkey in the early 1100's.  The craft was recognized not only for its decorative qualities but also as a backdrop for royal signatures and official documents.  Marbled seals were used by sultans, kings, and royalty as some of the earliest known security measures implemented to prevent forgery, fraud, and erasure.

          In the 1600's along with the Tulip bulb, crusaders introduced the art to Western Europe.  From an artistic perspective, the Netherlands and France produced the finest quality papers.  With the development of the printing press and books, marbling became an essential part of bookbinding with the papers being nested on the inside covers of all fine books--which is still one of the main uses of marbling today.

        The Intricate patterns of the papers were used to cover the folds, strings, and glue marks of the bindings and also served as an aesthetic transition from the dark leather covers to the white pages inside.  The marblers' guilds were separate from the bookbinders' guilds, who were forever spying on the marblers, trying to discover their techniques of marbling to avoid the high cost of their papers.

           Consequently, for centuries, the marblers often practiced their craft in the darkness of night with coveted secret formulas in private studios, shrouded behind locked doors.  Virtually no one could hope to learn the art unless they were born into a marbling family...


The Art of Marbling

stephen settles​​​​​

About Marbleizing

 

"There is no abstract art.  You must always start with something.  Afterwards, you can remove all traces of reality.  There's no danger then, anyway, because the idea of the object will have left an indelible mark."-Pablo Picasso