Hand-made paper moulds of the Dudergof water and St. Petersburg wind paper mills of the first quarter of the XVIIIth century. .

Abstract

The article discusses the paper moulds of the Dudergofskaya water and St. Petersburg wind paper mills. Over time, the number and variability of molds on both mills is gradually expanding. During the Peter the Great period, the inventories of hand-made paper molds do not give their dimensions.
The exception is a special order specifying the required parameters for a sheet-casting mold for cloth-making paper in the Kazan province. Paper molds were originally ordered in Holland, and over time they begin to be woven directly at the Petersburg mills. The factories had both «national» and «universal» watermarks. One of the signs is the “Big anchor”, which was used only at the Dudergof Mill and was its trademark. There were also two types of “Four anchors in a cross”, which differed in size. They were used on both paper mills.
The “Small anchor” could act both as an independent watermark and be placed on the second part of the stamped paper mould. It was a countermark of the St. Petersburg mill. The stamped paper mould could depict both a detailed and a simplified drawing of a “Double-headed Eagle”. There was also a filigree “Post horn”. However, due to the universality of drawing, it has not yet been possible to separate the European version from the Russian one.