In the fund of the National Institute of Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, there are more than 10 thousand manuscripts and xylographic books in Turkmen, Arabic and Persian languages. Rare books reached us, of course, are an invaluable wealth not only of domestic, but also world spiritual and material culture.
The history of book culture of the Turkmen people traces back to centuries, to the sources of origin of written language. In those old times, the ancestors of Turkmen created the inscriptions and texts on stone steles, processed animal skins, pieces of wood, leather scrolls. During many centuries, the masters formed a complex of local traditions in creation and designing of books.
A special place among the monuments of written language takes the code “Avesta”, which text was first recorded in VI century BC with liquid gold on parchment of 12 thousand treated calfskins.
Due to the interaction of cultures of the peoples of the East, there was the mutual enrichment. As this result, it has appeared book-code, which consisted of folded parchment sheets collected in a notebook, sewn in the book block by oriental method, which contained into leather binding. In the middle of age, along with the technique of manufacturing of whole leather bindings for decorating of books, it was used geometric and floral ornaments as well as cold stamping with gilding.
Traditions established by that time played a major role in the artistic designing of parchment manuscripts during the reign of the Sassanids. These include a letter in the local alphabet; drawings using of vegetable and mineral paints; use of ink and liquid gold, which was applied to write books on medicine, astronomy, history and philosophy.
In the middle of VII century (651 AD) on the territory of modern Turkmenistan, it is observed the increase of Arab influence on the internal and external designing of manuscripts. In X-XII centuries, it was created own paper production. The paper was replaced with parchment, and it gave impetus to further development of book art. During this period, it is formed new methods of sewing the book block and artistic designing of bindings, which determined the unity and integrity of the style of manuscript - from the type and nature of the design of binding up to the smallest details of internal décor, which expressed the spirit of the time the manuscript was created in.
In ХIV-ХV centuries, it is introduced into bookbinding a number of improvements, and put in use many new materials. During this period, along with whole leather bindings appeared the bindings, which papier-mâché or cardboard base of covers was pasted separately with thin leather and fastened with leather spine. The flat back do not extend beyond the edge of the book block, they were usually made of soft sheepskin of red, burgundy and black colors. Headband of book block (Shiraz) on one level with the top and bottom cut of book was bound with colored silk threads. During this period, it is emerged the stamping of leather bindings in the form of medallions, framework composition, which was consisted of frame-border and three scalloped medallions located in the center of the vertical axis of the manuscript.
The outer sides of the covers of bindings is not inferior to the colorful design of their internal side- flyleaves. They were decorated in the form of geometric and plant ornaments widespread in the field of graphic art based on teachings of the arabesques. The core of doctrine about arabesques, around which it was unfolded creative fantasy of the masters, formed the methods and ways of constructing the geometrical and plant ornaments, formation of correct combinations and figures of forms derived from them. The doctrine about arabesques gave rise to a number of original ornamental and graphic styles. They appeared in the field of architectural décor and in all kinds of fine arts, including in the design of bindings, pages of manuscripts, their edges, frontispieces, intros, endings, etc.
Thanks to the art of book masters, deeply popular in its basis, the priceless manuscripts, which we have to preserve for future generations, reached us.
The history of book culture of the Turkmen people traces back to centuries, to the sources of origin of written language. In those old times, the ancestors of Turkmen created the inscriptions and texts on stone steles, processed animal skins, pieces of wood, leather scrolls. During many centuries, the masters formed a complex of local traditions in creation and designing of books.
A special place among the monuments of written language takes the code “Avesta”, which text was first recorded in VI century BC with liquid gold on parchment of 12 thousand treated calfskins.
Due to the interaction of cultures of the peoples of the East, there was the mutual enrichment. As this result, it has appeared book-code, which consisted of folded parchment sheets collected in a notebook, sewn in the book block by oriental method, which contained into leather binding. In the middle of age, along with the technique of manufacturing of whole leather bindings for decorating of books, it was used geometric and floral ornaments as well as cold stamping with gilding.
Traditions established by that time played a major role in the artistic designing of parchment manuscripts during the reign of the Sassanids. These include a letter in the local alphabet; drawings using of vegetable and mineral paints; use of ink and liquid gold, which was applied to write books on medicine, astronomy, history and philosophy.
In the middle of VII century (651 AD) on the territory of modern Turkmenistan, it is observed the increase of Arab influence on the internal and external designing of manuscripts. In X-XII centuries, it was created own paper production. The paper was replaced with parchment, and it gave impetus to further development of book art. During this period, it is formed new methods of sewing the book block and artistic designing of bindings, which determined the unity and integrity of the style of manuscript - from the type and nature of the design of binding up to the smallest details of internal décor, which expressed the spirit of the time the manuscript was created in.
In ХIV-ХV centuries, it is introduced into bookbinding a number of improvements, and put in use many new materials. During this period, along with whole leather bindings appeared the bindings, which papier-mâché or cardboard base of covers was pasted separately with thin leather and fastened with leather spine. The flat back do not extend beyond the edge of the book block, they were usually made of soft sheepskin of red, burgundy and black colors. Headband of book block (Shiraz) on one level with the top and bottom cut of book was bound with colored silk threads. During this period, it is emerged the stamping of leather bindings in the form of medallions, framework composition, which was consisted of frame-border and three scalloped medallions located in the center of the vertical axis of the manuscript.
The outer sides of the covers of bindings is not inferior to the colorful design of their internal side- flyleaves. They were decorated in the form of geometric and plant ornaments widespread in the field of graphic art based on teachings of the arabesques. The core of doctrine about arabesques, around which it was unfolded creative fantasy of the masters, formed the methods and ways of constructing the geometrical and plant ornaments, formation of correct combinations and figures of forms derived from them. The doctrine about arabesques gave rise to a number of original ornamental and graphic styles. They appeared in the field of architectural décor and in all kinds of fine arts, including in the design of bindings, pages of manuscripts, their edges, frontispieces, intros, endings, etc.
Thanks to the art of book masters, deeply popular in its basis, the priceless manuscripts, which we have to preserve for future generations, reached us.
