Parchment is the skin of an animal, but it is not because it is not tanned leather. It is dried and stretched and a lot of times scraped and sanded. There are many types of parchment, of various animals and for different uses. There are nautical charts made of tough and there are beautiful 15th century Bibles from bound. In the super thin, velvety parchment the most colorful miniatures are painted. There are even made of seat covers, and it is batiked to serve as a lamp shade.

Vellum is a quirky material which reacts strongly to moisture, light and heat. It really is ‘high school work’ for restorers, to flatten it, remove stains, or to bind again. We have this stuff built up years of knowledge and experience and love to work with.