Watermarks within the middle eastern manuscript collection of the Baillieu library

Abstract

The University of Melbourne’s Middle Eastern Manuscript collection housed at the Baillieu Library was acquired by Professor John Bowman in the 1950s as part of a teaching collection to promote greater learning of Middle Eastern culture and civilisation (Pryde 2007, 3). The collection is a rare example within Australia and represents many different subjects including Qur’ans and religious teachings, dictionaries and grammars, law, philosophical, medical, historical and astrological texts, love stories and poetries (Sloggett 2007, 89). Professor Bowman’s main aim was to provide students with access to primary texts and so the collection was frequently drawn upon for research and teaching purposes. This paper however focuses on the information embedded within the collection. Under the surface, the manuscripts contain invaluable knowledge of the object’s use, its manufacture and the original community surrounding the material. Through visual analysis of the papers within the text blocks clues can be uncovered to assist with dating, provenance and historical trade route information. This type of study can be problematic and is not without critics so the pitfalls and indications for best practice are highlighted. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.