{"id":18964,"date":"2025-11-22T21:49:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T20:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/?p=18964"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:02:48","slug":"porte-memoire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/journal\/porte-memoire\/","title":{"rendered":"Porte M\u00e9moire"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18964\" class=\"elementor elementor-18964\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3704dd9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3704dd9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f581b36 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f581b36\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Weareable books : a thousand years of history\u200b<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f33bf25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f33bf25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Le Porte M\u00e9moire<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-411a50b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"411a50b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Handwritten books long stood among the primary tools for storing and transmitting knowledge \u2014 from liturgical and devotional works to legal, medical and scientific texts.<br data-start=\"170\" data-end=\"173\" \/>In medieval Europe, these objects generally took the form of the codex: gatherings of parchment or paper sheets sewn together and protected by a binding in leather, wood or parchment. (1) These books were costly to produce, but also durable, designed to endure through time \u2014 and sometimes specifically designed to be carried.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4782e5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"4782e5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b3dce7 elementor-align-center elementor-icon-list--layout-traditional elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"3b3dce7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#introduction\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Medieval Wearable Books<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#book-body\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Book, body and memory<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#memory-holder\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Le Porte M\u00e9moire<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68a6ba2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"68a6ba2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-685d52f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"685d52f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d1baf1e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d1baf1e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aae4cb8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"aae4cb8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2-819x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-18971\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2-819x1024.webp 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2-240x300.webp 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2-768x960.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2-1229x1536.webp 1229w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Artisanal-book-pendant-2.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66ab903 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"66ab903\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e021d58 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e021d58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Detail-Pages-819x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-18973\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Detail-Pages-819x1024.webp 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Detail-Pages-240x300.webp 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Detail-Pages-768x960.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Detail-Pages.webp 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e6fe03 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4e6fe03\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0c2317a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0c2317a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Left : Porte M\u00e9moire &#8211; Maison Douillet, 2025. | Right : Detail of laid paper pages of the &#8216;Porte M\u00e9moire&#8217;.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e55563 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7e55563\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c7c12b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"c7c12b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"introduction\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1dff39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"b1dff39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c22fb99 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c22fb99\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a17d1da elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a17d1da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1351\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eyck_Jan_van_-_Madonna_with_Canon_van_der_Paele-copie.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-18967\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eyck_Jan_van_-_Madonna_with_Canon_van_der_Paele-copie.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eyck_Jan_van_-_Madonna_with_Canon_van_der_Paele-copie-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eyck_Jan_van_-_Madonna_with_Canon_van_der_Paele-copie-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Eyck_Jan_van_-_Madonna_with_Canon_van_der_Paele-copie-768x961.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b89f25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b89f25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Madonna of Canon van der Paele (detail). Jan van Eyck, 1436. The detail of this amazing painting evidences a clergy member holding a girdle book.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6d40a5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c6d40a5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c847065 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"c847065\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a26376 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5a26376\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is a medieval girdle book?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3016834 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3016834\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"683\" data-end=\"1252\">Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, a small, portable book format now known as the <em data-start=\"778\" data-end=\"791\">girdle book<\/em> (or <em data-start=\"796\" data-end=\"815\">livre de ceinture<\/em> in French) appeared in several European regions. (1) A girdle book is characterised by a leather cover that extends beyond the lower edge of the boards into a long, tapered tail, usually ending in a knot, hook or ring. This tail could be slipped through a belt or girdle so that the book hung upside down; when lifted to the hand, it was immediately in the correct orientation for reading. (1)(6)<\/p><p data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1928\">Modern research \u2014 notably the work of book historian Margit J. Smith \u2014 has identified only around two dozen surviving medieval girdle books, a very small number compared to the tens of thousands of manuscripts that have come down to us. (1)(6) These portable volumes appear in art on the belts of monks, nuns, clerics and lay men and women, often as a sign of devotion and literacy. (1)(6) Many surviving examples contain religious texts: breviaries, diurnals and above all <em data-start=\"1766\" data-end=\"1782\">Books of Hours<\/em>, private prayer books designed for daily use by people who did not belong to a religious order. (1)(3)(6)<\/p><p data-start=\"1930\" data-end=\"2276\">These books were not \u201cmass objects\u201d in the modern sense, but they did serve a broad literate public with the means to commission or purchase a manuscript: members of religious communities, clerics, and lay men and women for whom a girdle book could be both a practical tool and a visible status symbol. (1)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e7673ab e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e7673ab\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b40a74 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6b40a74\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0974b90 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"0974b90\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f3c9963 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f3c9963\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Calendars, \"Bat Books\" and portable time<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f660b41 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f660b41\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"2326\" data-end=\"2954\">Alongside classic girdle books, medieval Europe also produced other forms of portable manuscript designed to be worn or carried on the body. The Biblioth\u00e8que nationale de France preserves three small folded manuscript calendars, now known as <em data-start=\"2568\" data-end=\"2579\">bat books<\/em>. (2) These are long strips of parchment folded concertina-style, each leaf carrying parts of a computus or calendar system used to calculate dates, lunar cycles and liturgical feasts. According to BnF curators, these miniature calendars were probably worn at the belt or carried on journeys, to avoid transporting heavier volumes. (2)<\/p><p data-start=\"2956\" data-end=\"3402\">French historian Fa\u00f1ch Kermorvan has shown that such \u201clivres \u00e0 la ceinture\u201d could be assembled from folded leaves sewn together, then enclosed in a leather cover with a loop or ring to attach them to the belt. (4) Some functioned as multi-year calendars, allowing the owner to compute the date of Easter over a span of seventy-six years; others combined practical information in a vade-mecum format. (2)(4)<\/p><p data-start=\"3404\" data-end=\"3796\">These objects remind us that medieval books were not only containers of text, but also instruments for managing time and orientation in the world: tools for knowing where one stands in the year, in the liturgical cycle, in relation to the phases of the moon. In that sense, a girdle book or bat book is both a physical object and a small, portable model of the universe its owner inhabited.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-123a942 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"123a942\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d8095f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1d8095f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Calendar-Bat-Book.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-18969\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Calendar-Bat-Book.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Calendar-Bat-Book-240x300.webp 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Calendar-Bat-Book-819x1024.webp 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Calendar-Bat-Book-768x960.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d2b660 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0d2b660\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Detail of a calendar contained in a wearable &#8220;bat book&#8221; (c. 1350, BnF). The drawing explains a method for calculating the date using the hand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a2a8bff e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a2a8bff\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b2d9e0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6b2d9e0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-529358e elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"529358e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"book-body\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a8c4ff e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0a8c4ff\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a793fa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7a793fa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e35cb92 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e35cb92\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-scaled.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-18975\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-scaled.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-240x300.webp 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-819x1024.webp 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-768x960.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-1229x1536.webp 1229w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-1639x2048.webp 1639w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-Girdle-Book-1500x1875.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ac4476 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2ac4476\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A girdle book. The knotted part is attached to the belt.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1eb40fa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1eb40fa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d692fd1 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"d692fd1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e18ff6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e18ff6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Books, bodies and the work of memory\u200b<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d55461c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d55461c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"3842\" data-end=\"4245\">In the later Middle Ages, the <em data-start=\"3872\" data-end=\"3887\">Book of Hours<\/em> in particular became a kind of \u201cbestseller\u201d: museums and libraries describe it as the most widely produced illuminated manuscript type of its time, used by lay families for private devotion. (3) These volumes often combine sequences of prayers with calendar pages listing saints\u2019 days, feasts and other key dates. (3)<\/p><p data-start=\"4247\" data-end=\"4671\">Some Books of Hours were even bound as girdle books, explicitly designed to be worn, consulted on the road and protected from weather or theft by their extended cover. (1)(3)(6) <br \/><br \/>Books of Hours, girdle books and bat books all participate in the same logic: concentrating essential information \u2014 prayer, time, calculation \u2014 into a compact volume that stays physically close to the body.<\/p><p data-start=\"4673\" data-end=\"4967\">Seen from today, these manuscripts illuminate an older form of \u201cpersonal data\u201d: names of family members listed in calendars, local feasts, obligations, routes, devotions. They are not encyclopedias; they are highly selective. What is written into them is precisely what must not be forgotten.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62b018b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"62b018b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eab3f6d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"eab3f6d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e75c7b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9e75c7b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2b2270 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"f2b2270\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"memory-holder\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d45aaac e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d45aaac\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd2d180 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cd2d180\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-358258f elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"358258f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7687c78 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7687c78\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Porte M\u00e9moire: a contemporary wearable book-object<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1fa9fe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b1fa9fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5380\">Maison Douillet\u2019s <em data-start=\"5049\" data-end=\"5064\">Porte M\u00e9moire<\/em> situates itself in this history of wearable and portable books, while remaining firmly rooted in contemporary design. It is a miniature hand-bound book-object made to be worn against the chest on a knitted linen cord \u2014 closer to a small pendant than to a pocket notebook. (5)<\/p><p data-start=\"5382\" data-end=\"5790\">The piece uses natural goat parchment for the cover, aged linen threads for the sewing and attachment, and laid paper for the interior pages. It is bound \u201c\u00e0 la Lyonnaise\u201d, with a front closure and a gansed side attachment on the fore edge, and fabricated in Is\u00e8re, France, as a unique object. (5)<\/p><p data-start=\"5792\" data-end=\"6269\">Rather than multiplying storage capacity, the <em data-start=\"5838\" data-end=\"5853\">Porte M\u00e9moire<\/em> deliberately restricts it. Like a very small girdle book or bat book, it is designed to hold only a few lines at a time: a name, an address, a date, a fragment of thought. Its function is not to replace digital tools, but to reserve a physical, visible place for what someone decides to keep close to their own body \u2014 a contemporary gesture that quietly echoes these earlier companions of prayer, time and memory.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3858a6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"e3858a6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/produit\/porte-memoire\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Discover the object here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-217c5bc e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"217c5bc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d8131e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d8131e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-18977\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-240x300.webp 240w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-819x1024.webp 819w, https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Maison-Douillet-Porte-Memoire-768x960.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e829fe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0e829fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Maison Douillet &#8211; Porte M\u00e9moire, 2025<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d3af66 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7d3af66\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fe6a71 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fe6a71\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5380\"><strong data-start=\"6276\" data-end=\"6288\">Source :<\/strong><br data-start=\"6288\" data-end=\"6291\" \/>1 : Margit J. Smith, <em data-start=\"6312\" data-end=\"6338\">The Medieval Girdle Book<\/em>, Oak Knoll Press \/ Oak Knoll Press &amp; related papers, oakknoll.com, academia.edu<br data-start=\"6418\" data-end=\"6421\" \/>2 : Biblioth\u00e8que nationale de France, \u201cLes bat books\u201d and \u201cManuscrits m\u00e9di\u00e9vaux\u201d, bnf.fr<br data-start=\"6509\" data-end=\"6512\" \/>3 : The Metropolitan Museum of Art &amp; other museum essays on Books of Hours, \u201cThe Book of Hours: A Medieval Bestseller\u201d, metmuseum.org; \u201cThe Medieval Bestseller: Illuminated Books of Hours\u201d, getty.edu; \u201cThe Medieval Top Seller: The Book of Hours\u201d, clevelandart.org<br data-start=\"6775\" data-end=\"6778\" \/>4 : Fa\u00f1ch Kermorvan, \u201cDes livres \u00e0 la ceinture\u201d, blog.kermorvan.fr<br data-start=\"6844\" data-end=\"6847\" \/>5 : Maison Douillet, product page \u201cPorte M\u00e9moire\u201d, douillet.com<br data-start=\"6910\" data-end=\"6913\" \/>6 : \u201cGirdle book\u201d, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Girdle_book<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weareable books : a thousand years of history\u200b Le Porte M\u00e9moire Handwritten books long stood among the primary tools for storing and transmitting knowledge \u2014 from liturgical and devotional works to legal, medical and scientific texts.In medieval Europe, these objects generally took the form of the codex: gatherings of parchment or paper sheets sewn together [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-classifiee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.douillet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}