Binding: Bound manuscript received in a half calf binding with marbled paper on the boards. The volume has been rebacked in leather, and the gold titling piece probably dates from the rebinding. During the rebacking, a white strip of paper was placed across the spine joining the boards near the head. A second repair resulted in the upper board being sewn with string to the textblock. There are two call number labels on the spine. The spine leather is extremely horny and stiff, with several areas missing. Both boards are largely loose. The board edges are abraided, the corners are bumped. The volume is very soiled.

Paper/media: The dictionary has printed rules and entries in several dark drown and black inks. There are two distinct wove papers. The first 2/3s of the textblock can be described as Beige (1), Medium thick (1), and slightly textured; the last 1/3 of the textblock can be described as Beige (2), Medium thick (I), and slightly textured (2) (Print Council of America Paper Sample Book 1996). The paper has extremely nice drape, but the stiffness of the spine limits the opening. There are three small pieces of paper with Chinese characters written on them in ink tucked in between pages - two between 423 and 424 and one between pages 431 and 432.

 

Note: two signatures around pages 554 and 605 appear to be missing halves of some folios – there may have been some material missing prior to this binding. There is also a page jump between pages 319 and 400 - these numbers are back to back on the same page so this doesn`t appear to be an area that`s missing but rather a possible error in pagination.

 

Endpapers: The endsheets are a single bifolio of laid paper described as Beige 2, moderately thick, and moderately textured (3) (Print Council of America Paper Sample Book 1996). The endsheets are sewn with the textblock. There is an iron gall ink inscription on the front flyleaf. There are several narrow stubs of offwhite machine made paper stuck to the upper flyleaf; possibly they are hinges from materials now missing.

 

Sewing: The sewing apears intact. The volume was sewn on six raised cords.

 

Forwarding: There are no endbands or edge treatments. There is no apparent rounding and backing, and the spine is now somewhat concave.

Paper treatments: All sections were guarded on the outermost folio - approximately 1/3 of the sections were guarded with Hanji 1303 tissue while the other 2/3 were guarded with Paper Nao RK 27 toned with acrylics, as this proved to be a better match. Extensive paper mending was also done with Paper Nao RK 27 tissue and wheat starch paste. An extended hinge of Paper Nao RK 29 tissue was attached to the flyleaves and an extended hinge of Kehribar 115 gm paper was loosely guarded onto the first and last signatures. Index was mended as necessary with Paper Nao RK 27 tissue and wheat starch paste. An extended hinge of Paper Nao RK 29 tissue was attached to the top right edge and it was adhered to the inside of the front board. The loose pieces of paper were tipped back into the appropriate pages with Paper Nao RK 27 tissue and wheat starch paste.

 

Forwarding treatment: The boards and textblock edges were lightly cleaned with an Absorene sponge. The leather on the spine was removed mechanically as possible, but the glue was extremely heavy in spots, and so resistant over the sewing supports that the leather was removed using a poultice of wheat starch paste. When the leather and adhesive were removed, it was apparent that the sewing was not intact. During the rebacking very heavy adhesive was used to consolidate the textblock despite losses of the sewing thread and sewing supports in many places, especially at the front and back; this adhesive held the volume together, but prevented it opening comfortably.

 

Binding repair: All previous sewing was removed. Textblock was re-sewn on six 8-ply raised cords with 60/3 thread. Leather on boards was consolidated with "red rot cocktail" (1:1:1 ethanol:SC6000:2% Klucel G in ethanol) and all lifted cover paper was put down with PVA. Index on front board was humidified locally to flatten creases, then removed manually. Leather was removed from spine edge of boards and discarded. Paste downs were lifted. Spine was lined all along with Angoumois a la main handmade paper and in between cords with Kehribar 115 gm handmade paper. Cords were lightly frayed and adhered to extended hinges with wheat starch paste. Hinges were cut back at bevel and attached to boards with 50/50 PVA/methyl cellulose mix. A new piece of repair calf in a sympathetic color was pared and adhered to spine with wheat starch paste. All lifted material was put down with PVA. Original titling piece was consolidated with 2% Klucel G in ethanol and thinned on the back, then adhered to the spine with PVA. Blind lines were tooled on either side of each band and along original titling piece to continue tooling line. Both boards plated to create smoother transition between new leather and original paper. New leather waxed with micro-crystalline wax.

 

Protective housing: Binding is housed in a clamshell box.