The library is filled with books made of paper, but at Central Library, you can find a few very special items made of fabric. You can see a selection of these in the John Wilson Special Collections room, also known as the rare book room.
Here are the top three must see fabric and silk items in the library’s rare book room:
1. The Qing Dynasty scroll: Made of silk backed with paper, this bilingual scroll includes Chinese and Manchu text. The Manchu text is written in ink or paint, while the Chinese text appears printed. Other elements of the scroll include two dragons woven in and a cloud pattern throughout. You can explore a similar scroll held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This scroll has been seen in the library since at least the 70s, when it was hung up like a piece of artwork and incorrectly labeled. A library patron wanted to learn more and connected with a University of Berkeley professor. The professor shared that the text included a date in the Eighth year of the Shunzhi Emperor (around 1651). In 2020, a professor at Portland State University provided an unofficial translation, sharing that the scroll is a "Patent of Nobility" for a civil servant in Liangxiang, near Beijing.
2. The silk book, also known as the Book of Prayers (Livre de prières tissé d'apres les enluminures des manuscrits du XIV au XVI siècle) was made in Lyon, France in 1886. The silk pages were woven on a Jacquard Loom.
The silk book was inspired by Books of Hours, illuminated prayer books and calendars done by hand on parchment. The John Wilson Special Collections includes one Book of Hours, created in France in the 1400s. It was part of the original gift John Wilson made to the library.
3. The Five Year Plan is a more recent artist book created in 2010. It’s made using the same cloth that is used for rice bags in India. The book honors Ghandi and Ghandian ways, and has a theme of self-sufficiency and service. Many artists around the world worked on these fabric pages, including Yoko Ono. Some pages are block printed, while others are silk screened.
Most of these fabric books are in collections like ours, museums or owned by private collectors. There are only 180 in the world. Lucky for you, you can come see this one at your local library.
Visit the John Wilson Special Collections or enjoy some of these rare items online.
The John Wilson Special Collections is supported by gifts to The Library Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to our library's leadership, innovation and reach through private support.