In Vellum We Trust,Question: What does the Declaration of Independence, a 1st century AD Buddhist ma

In Vellum We Trust,Question: What does the Declaration of Independence, a 1st century AD Buddhist manuscript from Central Asia, and a Renaissance portrait thought to be painted by Leonardo Da Vinci have in common?If you are looking for some type of Dan Brownesque conspiracy theory involving secret societies, think again.  While completely different pieces created in completely different time periods by completely different cultures, the similarities are quite simple; they are all made from vellum.Not really a form of paper, vellum is a parchment made from calf skin that has been used for important documents, paintings, religious texts, and other forms of print throughout history.  From ancient times to the 19th century, anything important was printed or painted on vellum.  This includes other documents such as the US Constitution, the Magna Carta, and even everyday documents such as deeds and wills.Unlike paper and papyrus, which are made from plant materials, vellum is made specifically from the skin of a young calf.  After the slaughter and dressing the skin is washed then soaked in lime for several days to soften the material and remove the hair.  Once soaked the skin is stretched out on fame and dried in the sun.  This bleaches the skin and gives it a translucent look.  Once sufficiently stretched and tanned the skin is processed into thin slabs which are sufficient for writing.Unlike paper vellum is a very costly type of parchment which requires great amounts of time, labor, and materials to make. As a result vellum was very expensive. So why did people of the past use vellum?  Unlike paper, vellum is a very tough material.  More importantly vellum is a material that can withstand the test of time.  From ancient religious manuscripts to important historical documents, vellum is very resistant to the effects of age and weathering compared to other materials.  That is why many works were done on vellum, because the creators wanted to make something that could be passed down from generation to generation.Today use of true vellum is rare (the material called “vellum” today is made of plasticized cotton).  The only modern users of vellum is the British Parliament, the Irish Parliament, as well as use by Jews in creating Torah scrolls. -- source link
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