Work

Ritualizing the Size of Books

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Rhetoric about books usually emphasizes their semantic contents. Larger-than-average and smaller-than-average books, however, draw our attention to their material form. Size therefore provides one means for ritualizing the iconic dimension of books. While enlarging books quickly exceeds any practical purpose for the sake of public display, shrinking books tends to carry with it pragmatic rhetoric about portability, low expense, and mass production. Yet the popularity of textual amulets across history and cultures suggests that private ritualization drives much of the market for miniatures.

Source: Postscripts The Journal of Sacred Texts Cultural Histories and Contemporary Contexts

DOI: 10.1558/post.35879

Author: James W. Watts

Institution: Syracuse University

Language: English

Topic: Libraries, Manuscripts, and Books

Subfield: History

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2924213780

FWCI:

Cites: 18

Cited by: 10

Related to: 10