Writing Styli
and
Punches for Gilding

By

Randy Asplund

 

These tools are made of bronze Each stylus is based on examples found in a photograph from the Janet Backhouse book The Lindisfarne Gospels. They are authentic in material, size, and shape. They can be used for writing scripts or drawing in waxed tablets or on beresty (strips of boiled birch bark used to write letters on). Such a stylus was also used as an awl for making pin prick ruling registrations for calligraphy in books.

The punch is a Maltese cross shape and is the first in a series of small gold & leather stamping tools I am beginning to make. It is my hope to be able to produce enough of these punches and styli to sell in the summer of 2005.