Plato Opera (1491)
After treatment, 3/4 view of the full leather binding.
Title: Opera (Prohemium Marili fioni fiore in libros Platonis)
Author: Plato (428/427 or 424/423 - 348/347 BCE)
Imprint: Venice, Bernardus de Cremona and Simon de Luero, 1491
Dimensions: H 31.4cm x W 22.3cm x T 8.3cm
Total treatment time: 89 hours
Main Condition Issue: The combination of the tight-back binding; thin, red-rotted leather; and heavy wooden boards caused the front board to completely detach and the back board to partially detach. Despite the condition of the binding, the sewing was intact and the textblock was in good condition.
Treatment Summary: The textblock was rebound in a full leather, in-boards binding. It was decided that the deteriorated state of the existing leather would make reattaching the boards difficult and would do little to preserve the deteriorated leather. New cords were added at each sewing station to serve as the connections between the textblock and the binding. A new cloth-covered, drop-spine box was built to house the book and the old boards, spine piece, and endsheets per the curator's request.
The full treatment report can be read here. A gallery of before, during, and after treatment photos can be found below.
treatment photo gallery
