Documentation and Evaluation of an Ancient Paper Manuscript with Leather Binding Using Spectrometric Methods

The present study presented an integrated analytical approach to the Qur'anic manuscript with leather binding; the multianalyses revealed the degree of degradation for paper and leather in the current manuscript under the study, causing the mapping of treatment. The visual assessment detected yellowness in the internal papers, dark black spots, and advanced erosion in the leather bind. The result detected that this manuscript leads to yellowing and weakness in the properties of paper under the attack of acidity where the pH of paper reached 5.5. XRD and FTIR analyses of paper illustrated a dramatic decrease of crystallinity index with a notable increase of C=O stretching, respectively. The sharp increase of carbonyl group can be used as evidence of oxidation. The microscopic examination also showed that cotton was used in the manufacturing of the paper of the current manuscript, while the leather bind was made from goatskin. In addition, the cellulose and protein bundles were both destructive and disintegrated.