Rare medieval bookmark exceeds expectations at auction

(thehistoryblog.com)

38 points | by speckx 5 days ago ago

15 comments

  • Luc 6 hours ago

    > [...] the maker was almost certainly a transcriber who used it to keep his place on the page and note the column he was writing in when he stopped. The wheel would be moved to the stopping point and the circle turned to the number of the column he had been writing in when he stopped.

    It would make a lot more sense that the bookmark was placed in the source book rather than in the copy. I.e. the wheel would be turned to the source column they had been reading from.

    • thomascountz 2 hours ago

      I imagined the same; and in that case, it wouldn't need to follow that it was transcriber's bookmark.

      • klimt01 an hour ago

        The other instrument, a pencil-beam light.

  • ungreased0675 5 hours ago

    I have a pretty over engineered fidget spinner on my desk. (Flyaway) It’s amusing to imagine what a future archeologist would say about its function and importance to my work.

    • sorokod an hour ago

      Likely to be classified as early 21st century religious artefact.

  • dukeofdoom 4 hours ago

    Maybe bookmarks need innovation. Not sure what exists out there now, but could be a cool product

    • deberon 4 hours ago

      I’ve been innovating on bookmarks for decades. Money, receipts, paint swatches, entire spiral notebooks, ripped off corners of magazines… bookmarks are everywhere!

      • doubled112 an hour ago

        Basically anything that will fit between pages and is in reach is a bookmark.

        • akkartik 37 minutes ago

          Including the cover of another book.

    • thih9 4 hours ago

      Perhaps a book that keeps track of the reading progress automatically. /s

      • nortlov 2 hours ago

        Yes! A method to easily understand completion status without having to open a book to verify progress.

  • polnurfer 6 hours ago

    Now that’s an NFT!

  • hypercube33 6 hours ago

    Disappointing it doesnt list the expected or sale price that it went for on either the article or the linked auction page.

    • mfcl 6 hours ago

      From the article:

      > The pre-sale estimate £800-1200 ($1073-1610). It sold for £7,000 ($9390).