Red paste paper book cover with curved line design 1700 - 1800

Editor: Here we have an intriguing object, a red paste paper book cover with a curved line design, dating from somewhere between 1700 and 1800. It's anonymous, found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes me immediately is how incredibly tactile it feels just looking at it. The wavy lines almost vibrate on the surface. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Oh, I adore this! It’s more than just a book cover, isn’t it? It’s a little portal into a world where everyday objects could be canvases. Paste paper, it’s humble, made from flour paste and pigments, swirled and dragged, like frosting a cake with a mischievous hand. The repeating curves remind me of sound waves, almost as though this object wants to whisper a secret. Doesn't it make you wonder what kind of book it protected? Was it filled with poetry? Dangerous secrets? Or simply… accounting? Editor: That’s a wonderful image. It does make me think of sound waves. It’s interesting that such a simple technique could create something so visually captivating. Were these paste papers common at the time? Curator: Relatively. Think of them as the hand-marbled papers of the working class. They weren’t precious like gold-tooled leather, but they possessed their own homespun charm. Each one unique, a fingerprint of the maker. Did it intend to mimic the high art styles of the period, or create something novel from something unexceptional? Editor: It certainly feels novel now! The artist seemed less interested in representing things and more invested in simply creating an eye-pleasing surface pattern. Thanks! I feel like I see the charm of it much clearer now. Curator: Indeed! Beauty doesn't always shout; sometimes, it whispers in the swirls of paste.