History and Production of Marbled Paper; A Reassessment

Today much research has been carried out on the arts of book, yet some aspects of it have not been studied well. Making colored papers, both in their texture and on surface, is a subject matter not dealt with properly in terms of history and production methods. Having been propagated in the 9th century AH/ AD 15th century, the production of marbled paper dates back to a period before that time, however centuries later different new methods and techniques appeared. Taking a look at the history of using colored paper, particularly the imported types from China in the 9th century AH/ AD 15th century, the present study shows that colored paper was not only applied in fine manuscripts of the 10th century AH/ AD 15th century, but the abundance of such paper used in personal notes of the 11th century AH/ AD 16th century is indicative of the fact that they were probably produced at a cheaper price. Incidentally, we witness historical documents relating to marbling technique. One of them is a literary letter by Tughrāy Mashhadī in which are seen some terms concerning this art as well as the fact of sending Persian marbled paper to India. Furthermore, two other notes discuss the material used in making marbled paper, one of which with more terms common in Indian culture.