Watermarks and chain lines are marks frequently found on paper made before the 19th century. This paper was produced one sheet at a time using a hand-held wire screen. It was known as “laid” paper in reference to the pattern left on the paper by the horizontal wires that were laid close together to form the papermaking screen. The horizontal wires were supported by vertical “chain lines,” and all were anchored to a wooden frame. The frame and wires together formed the mold, which the papermaker would dip into a vat of pulp made from textile fibers. He would then shake the mold to drain the water, then allow the thin layer to dry between sheets of felt.
Laid paper shows faint vertical lines when backlit. These are left by the chain lines, and are an indication the paper was made before the 19th-century mechanization of the papermaking process. The papermaker could also add a decorative watermark made of twisted wires onto the mold before dipping it into the pulp vat. Watermarks take various forms, including flowers, crests, crosses, and fool’s caps. Since these marks were changed frequently, they can help scholars date paper batches and specific impressions.
Written by Simone Edgar Holmes
Bibliography
Griffiths, Antony. The Print before Photography: An Introduction to European Printmaking, 1550-1820. London: The British Museum, 2018.
Johnson Jr., C. Richard. “Decision Trees for Watermark Identification in Rembrandt’s Etchings.” Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art 12:2 (Summer 2020) DOI: 10.5092/jhna.2020.12.2.5.
