writing-desks-msg - 11/19/99
Period portable writing desks.
NOTE: See also the files: wax-tablets-msg, calligraphy-msg, inks-msg, paper-msg, parchment-msg, quills-msg, sealing-wax-msg, early-books-msg, gold-leaf-msg.
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Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: Linda <rain at cboss.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Writing desk?
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 16:45:54 -0400
> I'm looking for information, paintings, and/or examples of period writing
> desks. Many people think of those portable little boxes with the slanted,
> hinged lid as the writing surface. How period are these? So far, in looking
> through the *very few* illumination books I have access to, I've not seen any
> of these. Most of what I see are large tables and desks, some with slanted
> writing surfaces, some not. I've seen several examples that are remarkably
> like my modern drawing table. I've also seen many depiction's of scribes
> carrying or using just a flat board to write on. Very like a clipboard.
>
> Any information or pointers to good sources would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> ~Tatjana
There is an example, on the cover of "Scribes and Illuminators", by
Christopher De Hamel, of a scribe using a writing desk.
This desk has a very angled top, and looks like it could hold writing
supplies under the surface. I just did a search on BarnesandNoble.com
for it, so I'm working from a thumbnail.
Hope this helps!
-- Sorcha
From: Cynthia Virtue <cvirtue at thibault.org>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Writing desk?
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 13:27:24 GMT
> Many people think of those portable little boxes with the slanted,
> hinged lid as the writing surface. How period are these?
They can be very period, depending. We have two photos of sculptures at
Notre Dame in Paris showing two scribes with these balanced on their
laps. They seem to be more open-boxlike; you can see the hole and the
horn that holds the ink, from the side, for example. But surely the
scribes on the Rialto can be more specific.
--
Cynthia du Pre Argent
I'm collecting a database & library of 3rd party articles about the SCA
for everyone's reference. Email sca-clippings at thibault.org for details.
From: gilmore at rand.org (Phyllis M. Gilmore)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Writing desk?
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 13:49:49 -0400
Organization: RAND
Cynthia Virtue <cvirtue at thibault.org> wrote:
> > Many people think of those portable little boxes with the slanted,
> > hinged lid as the writing surface. How period are these?
>
> They can be very period, depending. We have two photos of sculptures at
> Notre Dame in Paris showing two scribes with these balanced on their
> laps. They seem to be more open-boxlike; you can see the hole and the
> horn that holds the ink, from the side, for example. But surely the
> scribes on the Rialto can be more specific.
Somewhere amongst my half-vast collection of books (they are beginning to
emerge from the boxes<grin>), I have a photograph of a traveling desk said
to have belonged to Henry VIII (if not, it is at least of the correct
vintage). I seem to recall it was anything but a "lap desk" of the type I
think you mean--it was meant to sit on a table top. But it had various
nooks for writing supplies, and I believe the inside of the top was the
intended writing surface.
But I could be convoluting memories of different things, too. This is,
however, a suggestion for places to start a search.
Philippa
<the end>