Tradition Of Binding Islamic Manuscripts Of The Archipelago: Identification Of Techniques And Materials Of Animal Skin As Manuscript Covers

Abstract

This research aims to conduct an in-depth identification of the tradition of binding Islamic manuscripts in the archipelago, with a special focus on the technique of working and identifying animal skin materials used as manuscript covers. The main problem in this study is the lack of attention to the aspects of codicology, especially binding techniques, compared to traditional textual or philological studies. The importance of this task lies in the preservation of cultural artifacts that show the technological advances of book-making and Islamic intellectual networks in Southeast Asia. The methodology used is a qualitative-descriptive approach with codicological analysis and microscopic identification of leather materials. The results encountered in this assignment show that the archipelago binding tradition has unique characteristics that are the result of hybridity between global Islamic influences (Persia, Turkish, and Arabic) and local wisdom. The main materials used are goat and cow skins processed through plant-based tanning, with blind tooling techniques  that reflect certain geographical identities such as the Banten, Central Java, Palembang, and Aceh models. This study concludes that the identification of physical materials is crucial in determining conservation strategies and understanding the history of Islamic culture in the archipelago as a whole.