GLOBAL DECO PAPER Workshop at LMU: A Deep Dive into Decorated Paper Traditions
In March, the ERC project GLOBAL DECO PAPER held a three-day workshop at LMU Munich, bringing together the full research team along with newly affiliated researcher Dr. Jake Benson, an expert on decorated—and especially marbled—paper. The event proved to be an enriching opportunity for in-depth discussions, knowledge sharing, and future planning.
The first day began with presentations from all team members. Professor Ilse Sturkenboom opened with insights into the connections between Chinese printed paper and Persian manuscripts—an early spark for the project’s conceptual framework. Theresa Zischkin followed, showcasing a vivid selection of Mughal and Deccani manuscripts she has studied over the past 18 months. These included folios with colored, gold- and silver-sprinkled, and stenciled paper.
Negar Kazemipourleilabadi shared her recent research on illustrated copies of the Dīwān-i Muhibbī found in Warsaw and Istanbul, which also contain striking examples of decorated paper. Yih-chuen Liao gave a glimpse into her fieldwork in Taiwan and Japan, focusing on hand scrolls, hanging scrolls, and fans adorned with various decorative techniques. The day concluded with a lively group dinner, allowing conversations to flow into the evening.
Day two spotlighted Dr. Jake Benson, who introduced his doctoral research and provided a rich overview of marbled paper traditions, particularly those belonging to the so-called “first wave.” This sparked an energetic round of discussions, as team members connected his terminology and typologies to their own case studies. The day ended with a public lecture organized by the Friends of Islamic Art, where team member Mandana Bender presented her doctoral research to an enthusiastic audience.
The final day focused on a major database meeting with Hanieh Arjomand-Fard, Mandana Bender, and the team’s new research assistant Lily Baumeister. The team reviewed the project’s digital infrastructure, discussed terminology, and explored data entry protocols. The workshop closed with a late lunch, during which plans for future workshops, a conference proposal, and the GLOBAL DECO PAPER symposium in 2026 began to take shape.
Though intense, the workshop was a productive and inspiring milestone in the project’s journey – one that brought the team’s shared vision for global histories of decorated paper one step closer.