Girdle Book

The girdle book was a common form of book, generally religious in content, in the 15th and 16th centuries. The elongated lower section of the leather binding, which ended in a knot, enabled the owner, in most cases a monk, to carry the book like a pouch in their hand or attached to their belt. Brass fittings fixed the binding in place and generally made the book more robust. The clasp prevented the book from opening by itself. There are only a few remaining specimens of this type of binding today, because later on the extra leather on these books was often cut off so that they could be stored more easily on shelves. The Düsseldorf specimen is not in its original condition either. There are still remnants of the old original calfskin binding under the suede. It seems the book was composed of older fragments in the 19th century. The pages themselves are vellum listing the rules of the Benedictine Order from the 15th century. The brass fittings and clasp, which were not original features of the book, come from the same period. (Katja Storalow)