For the final project in Prof. Conant's Fall 2019 Course CLAS 1205: The Long Fall of the Roman Empire, student Maya Smith went above and beyond, recreating various elements of the Book of Kells using traditional methods of bookbinding. Over the course of this project, Maya transcribed 50 pages of the Gospel on a facsimile of parchment, including one full color rendering of the vignettes found in the Book of Kells. Other components of her project included:
- Creating a wooden book-binding loom by hand without the use of power tools
- The use of rabbit skin adhesive and hemp cord to bind the book
- The use of red goatskin for the front and back covers and the spine
- Tracking down and using antique decorating tools, some of which were over a century old
- The exclusive use of manual tools and heating methods to create brass corners, brass features, and gilding for the front cover
According to Maya, “creating this manuscript took over 30 hours, numerous cuts and burns, and a great deal of headaches and design issues.” Maya's project was so impressive that the Classics Department helped with funding from the Bruce Elliot Donovan Memorial Endowment. Despite the difficulty and magnitude of the project, Maya’s dedication to her work and to the Classics is an inspiration to all of us.