Ethiopian Prayer Book Stitching
On request, these are some of the inside pages of the prayer book my father was given by an Ethiopian Holy man in 1947 when my father was stationed in Ethiopia as part of the British Military Mission to Ethiopia to assist the newly restored Empreror rebuild te Ethiopian army.
This is an example of the stitching across some of the pages of anima/skin parchment
Comments and faves
Spirit of Boz (65 months ago | reply)
A lot of emotions and souvenirs in a very small book...
Princess Tat of Tinkle Shed added this photo to her favorites. (65 months ago)
Princess Tat of Tinkle Shed (65 months ago | reply)
Perfect.
That is an original join, eh Art ? When the maker was joining the velum and not a repair which I presume the front cover is?
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
Morning. Yes, I think the vellum parchment must have been in a big sheet and stitched in places to make it bigger, squarer or whatever and then cut to size for the book(s). I imagine there was some kind of production line thing going on. The more I think about it the more interesting it is. I dont know why the wooden cover has been stitched -as the front and back both have the crack in the same place. I thought for awhile that it might have been decorative...it seems odd that it would break in the same place and doesnt seem to have a functional use.
entropiK added this photo to his favorites. (65 months ago)
I'mNotHer (65 months ago | reply)
The smallest of things can speak with the biggest of voices.
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
Thank you I'mNotHer-I think thats very true...
Green Wellies (65 months ago | reply)
The stitching is what makes this wee book so unique. I'm wondering if the cracks in the wood could be that someone sat on it...perhaps it was in a back pocket.
Princess Tat of Tinkle Shed (65 months ago | reply)
good thinking green-wellies. It would indeed snap ....just like a biscuit.
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
That makes sense I guess-but on both sides? Its a beautiful fix at any rate.
Mikey G Ottawa added this photo to his favorites. (65 months ago)
⧫ OIT8DOI2.COM ⧫ (65 months ago | reply)
lika tennis ball. isn't?
cool
ScaryLily (65 months ago | reply)
this is an amazing book! What a treasure!
Back pocket? Trousers in Ethiopia? at that time? all those questions....intriguing!
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
Its a mystery. I'm not sure about the back pocket but maybe something else. Sleeping on it perhaps.
panta rhei. (65 months ago | reply)
whow. i'm impressed.
this is special.
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
thanks for coming by panta rhei...
lord marmalade (65 months ago | reply)
Looks like a fascinating book, one which could only be now pampered and appreciated with great curiosity. The stiching indeed conveys how precious and cared for it was. A scar of great beauty.
ART NAHPRO (65 months ago | reply)
Yes it makes me think of our throw away culture where hardly anything is worth the trouble to try and fix. Perseverance .
Olivier…papier…ciseaux…, sudoku, sculptress studio, ursonate, and IfriqiyaBamboo added this photo to their favorites.
VIRGIN AND THE CITY (51 months ago | reply)
Look at those sheets, wow. Amen.
ART NAHPRO (50 months ago | reply)
Thanks Virgin and the City
Radha (a.k.a. Ratlion), Feltbug, and cuisle west ... away awhile added this photo to their favorites.
Letterself (31 months ago | reply)
Beautiful!
francskbllo-cb, janitzio alatriste, Hazel Terry, wanalexa, and 3 other people added this photo to their favorites.