mounting a leather torah

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schnoubi

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this is a small leather piece about 14 inches high by 5 wide. it has to be float-mounted. how can i attach it? leather is not too thick, whole piece is pretty light, supposed to be 500 years old, but i don't think it's that old and certainly not that fragile...any ideas??
thanks as usual,
paige
 
Given its age, this is probably rawhide (vellum or parchment) and not leather.
Such an item is likely to change shape in a frame, as light comes and goes
and alters the relative humidity surrounding it. Successful hinging such an item requires that the hinges be lightly attached to the hide. Microdot paste
application of paste is one option, one can also get a long fibered Kozo
paper and attach only the reathers at the edge of a wet cut hinge. Both
techniques require careful and extensive practice. The safest thing to do
is to make a good facsimile of the item, frame that, and keep the original in
a good quality folder.


Hugh
 
Is it still on the dowels? Torahs are always written on parchment, wrapped around dowels like a Chinese scroll. Indeed, if the scribe that is making the Torah makes a mistake, he has to start over from the beginning. If it is still on the dowels, and is to be displayed open, you could use mylar strips to hold the dowels in place, I would think.
 
I like using edge strips or possibly sling mount. They both have the similar idea, but the sling goes all the way around then it is adhered with linen hinges about an inch away from the work. That way nothing is actually adhered to the art-these methods are for overmatting of course.

PL
 
there are no dowels with this particular peice. Too bad, that would have been easier! Would framer's tape or gummed linen tape work for this application? Appreciate any help
 
From the size of it, it sounds more like a megillah (like, from the Purim holiday), than a Torah (which is basically the Bible on parchment), which is much larger. I remember from my Bar Mitzvah, many many years ago, being deathly afraid of dropping the Torah. It turned out to be not so heavy, but it's still a big item.
 
As small and easily done as this is... I'm going with Hugh on this one.

Having a tiny teeny itsi bittsy experience with 15th C art/scrolls...

I gotta question the thought process of slapping something like this
in a frame.... or ask the question

Oy! Is this guy mashugina? [Capt Yiddish, please feel free to correct my spelling 'cuz the spell checker took one look, hick-uped and died.]

BUT! With that being said... Floating "T" hinges or Helicopter hinges with Micro dot pasting would provide the hold but support the movement too.
 
A couple of othe thoughts:

Depending on the weight, pressure sensitive pass through hinges (made from acrylic emulsion Lascaux HV360 and Japanese paper - allow the adhesive to dry overnight before applying hinge to parchment) could work. Only the part of the hinge attaching to the parchment need be coated with the Lascaux, and the free end of the hinge can be taped on the reverse with P90 or some such.

Or, you could experiment with sturgeon glue or fish glue (available at Talas http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_listing.cfm?ClientID=15&CategoryFullID=106) as that would also be an appropriate adhesive to use for your hinges. I haven't used it much myself, but these adhesive are used by conservators for parchment/vellum repair, and I am reasonably certain that it could be applied to the Japanese paper and allowed to air dry to tack, applied to vellum and then dried completely under weight as per wheat starch hinges.

In both cases it would be best to experiment of scrap piece of parchment first. Whatever you use, it's always kind to write what it is on the reverse of the back mat so the next guy knows what they are dealing with .

Rebecca
 
A conservator such as Rebecca could rightfully experiment and come up with the best possible alternative mounting material & method. She knows what is going on in the process, chemically speaking.

However, that is not the kind of experimenting a typical framer could do. Uninformed experimentation could result in permanent damage to an item of monetary, sentimental, and historical value. I suggest that unless the framer is thoroughly familiar with the chemistry and physics involved with such a mounting challenge -- and most of us are not -- then call a conservator. That would be my approach; better safe than sorry.
 
Wow, I'm kind of afraid to touch this thing, I don't have much experience with the Japanese hinges. Thanks for all the advice and words of warning. I will try to find a solution for the customer.
 
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