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Soundboard Parchment Roses

Soundboard Parchment Roses

These odd little confections are made of parchment (very thin but durable goat or sheep skin). They look complicated and intricate, but they're not actually all that difficult to make.

I start with a layout, and then begin cutting the top layer, which then gets glued down to another piece of parchment, left to dry in a press overnight, and then I cut through that piece, glue it down, and cut some more. This process gets repeated for each of the tiers, and once all the tiers are done, I make the upright supports and glue all of it together with archival bookbinder’s glue.

I'm still happy to make them for anyone who wants one, but more often than not, when asked I recommend Elena Dal Cortivo in Italy. Her prices are exceedingly reasonable and the quality is suberb.

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