Parchment data proteomic - Mont Saint-Michel scriptorium manuscripts XIe century

The present study investigates the practice of the Mont Saint-Michel scriptorium in the use of parchment to produce manuscripts in the 11th century, based on a corpus of 67 manuscripts produced between 980 and 1100.

The combination of information gained from the codicological studies, proteomic analyses and thickness measurement of the parchments, revealed that copyists and/or artists deliberately select the type of skin depending on the content of the folio or the status of the manuscript. Thus, only sheep parchment is used for folios with text or only lightly illuminated manuscripts, while calf parchment is selectively used for the most valued part in the manuscript, such as full-page illuminations and often large ornate letters opening the manuscripts.