“…When every leaf’s a flower”
The influence of nature on art and design is evident in the history of manuscripts and books across the world. Even the way we refer to a book page as a “leaf” is a nod to plants. From the silk coverings of Japanese scrolls to the pages of William Morris’s edition of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, floral and vegetal motifs enhance the beauty of the written word – no matter the subject matter.
Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis, usage of Rome. France, ca. 1440-1470.
Personal devotional texts popular during the Middle Ages, Books of Hours often incorporated floral and vegetal motifs as well as other features of the natural world in their elaborate decorations.
##al-Juzʼ al-thānī ashar. Selections from the Qur’an. China, ca. 1800.
Figural decoration is not permitted in the Islamic faith, so embellishments to art and architecture incorporate calligraphy, geometric shapes, and floral motifs. Islam was introduced in China as early as 650, and the decorations on Qur’an selections written by Chinese Muslims show Chinese influence. The lotus flowers used here show how floral decoration could be adapted to be regionally specific. The flowers that appear darker today were likely painted with lead white, which has blackened over time.
Kosensai Sasaki. Geishū Kakei Sumiya Tetsuzan emaki / 芸州 加計 隅屋 鈇山 絵卷. Kyōto-shi : Benridō, Shōwa 36 [1961].
Wrapped in floral silk coverings, these picture scrolls feature reproductions of illustrations possibly created by Sasaki Kosensai, a Japanese artist active during the 19th century.
Muhammad bin Muhammad Taqi Baqir. Zad al-Ma'ad, 1800.
Decorative florals embellish the binding of this Islamic devotional manuscript, another example of floral art adorning documents of the faith. The binding is shiny due to a coat of shellac – a secretion from the female lac bug that is mixed with alcohol to create a varnish.
Geoffrey Chaucer. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted. Upper Mall, Hammersmith, in the county of Middlesex, Printed by me William Morris at the Kelmscott Press. Finished on the 8th day of May, 1896.
The Arts and Crafts Movement emerged in the United Kingdom and the United States in the late 19th century. In reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the movement focused on hand-crafted goods, creating items that were meant to be beautiful as well as functional. Designs were inspired by nature and influenced by medieval art and architecture – both of which are exemplified in William Morris’s printing of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works.