Information, Interpretation, Interaction: Global Cultures of Colophons, c. 1400–1800

This volume charts the diversity of early modern colophons to explore new analytical approaches to scribal cultures across the globe between circa 1400 and 1800. By examining the colophon as a scribal practice in its broadest sense, this introduction proposes a different concept that moves beyond inherently European definitions. We advocate for a broader understanding of colophons as scribal practices and signatures that tell very personal stories of the production and circulation of manuscripts and prints in the early modern world. Through colophons scribes experimented with and shaped the social worlds of the production, transmission, and perception of the written word—both in manuscript and print.