A Sh ort His tor ica l Ske tch of
Th e A rt of Bookbinding by
Will iam L. Andrews
W it h a D e sc ri p ti o n of th e P ro m in e n t St yl es by
Willi am Matthews
P ub li sh ed fo r th e be ne fi t of T h e A rt L oa n E x h ib it io n he ld A pr il, 1895
C o p y r ig h t, 189 5, by
W il li am L . A n d r e w s a n d W il l ia m M a tth ew s.
L IS T O F IL L U S T R A T IO N S .
1.
An It al ia n bi nd in g of th e XV I. Ce ntu ry.
2. Copy of a Gr ol ier es qu e bi nd in g, by Fr an ci sq ue Caz in, of Pa ris . 3. A De ro me bi nd in g. 4. A bi nd in g by Ro ge r Pa yn e. 5. Bi nd in g fo r M ar gu er ite de V alo is, sup pos ed to be . by Clov is Ev e. 6. Bi nd in g, sai d to be by Le Gas con .
C H A P T E R I. V CHARAC TERIST ICS
OF THE
PRO MIN ENT
STYLES
OK
BO OK -BI ND IN G.
S T U D Y of th e c h a ra c te r of th e o rn a m en ts us ed in th e de co ra ti on of bo ok b in d in g wi ll se rv e m at e ri a ll y to d is ti n gu is h th e se ve ra l pro m in en t st yl es . Th e a A ld in e " or e a r ly I t a l i a n : — T h e o rn a m en ts of th e A ld in e or ea rl y It a li a n st yl e w er e A ra bi c in ch ar ac te r, of so lid fa ce , w it h o u t a n y sh ad in g w ha te ve r. T h is st yl e of o rn am en t us ed by A ld us an d o th er ea rl y It a li a n p ri n te rs was. pa rt ic ula rl y ad ap te d to th e “ bl in d to o li n g ” of th e bi nd er , wh ich st yl e of de co ra ti on se rv ed hi m u n ti l he be ca m e fa m il ia r w it h go ld to ol in g. Im p re s sio ns of th es e orn am en ts w er e re pe at ed by th e bi nd er , fo rm in g ve ry ef fe ct iv e de co ra ti on in bo rd er s an d pa ne ls . In o th er ex am pl es of th is st yl e th e de sig n is co m po se d of an in te rs ec te d sq ua re an d di am on d, w ith th e A ld in e o rn am e n ts im pr es se d in th e co rn er s an d ce nt er s. 3
“ M a io I i " o r l a t e r I t a l i a n : — In th e la te r I ta li a n st y le a g r e a t a d v a n c e in th e q u a li ty of d e s ig n is o b se rv e d . A m a s te r se em s to h av e ar is en a n d f u rn is h e d d e s ig n s of g r e a t m e ri t to th e b in der . I n an e x a m p le b o u n d fo r T hos. M ai ol i, d a te d 1509. th e fr a m e w or k is co m p o se d of sc ro ll sh ie ld s w it h i n te r tw in in g sc ro ll -w o rk fl o w in g th ro u g h it. a n d th e fiel d o f th e s h ie ld s is e n ri c h e d b y a s tu d d in g o f g o ld do ts . T h e o rn a m e n ts a re M or es qu e in c h a r a c te r r a th e r th a n A ra b ic , a re no lo n g e r so li d on th e fa ce , b u t a re d e fi n e d in sh a p e bv an o u te r lin e, w h il e t h e re st of th e fa ce is li n e d or a z u re d as in h e ra ld ry , w it h sm a ll o p e n in g s in th e c e n te r as fo r th e in la y of co lo r. T h e s e fe a tu re s m ar k th e “ M a io li ” or la te r I ta li a n st y le . “ G r o l i e r . ”— M ai ol i a n d G ro li e r w er e c o n te m p o r a r y co ll ec to rs , a n d d o u b tl e ss w h il e th e fo rm e r w as in It a ly , p a tr o n iz e d th e sa m e b in d e r or b in d e rs . -T h e st y le of o rn a m e n t is th e sa m e, m er el y v a ry in g a s y e a rs i n c re a se d . T h ro u g h o u t G ro li e r’s •c ar ee r, w it h fe w e x c e p ti o n s, th e sa m e c h a ra c te r of M or es qu e a z u re d li ne o rn a m e n t w as us ed . T h e st y le s of M ai ol i a n d G ro li e r a re n o t ea si ly d is ti n g u is h a b le . T h e d if fe re n ce o b se rv ab le is m os t m a rk e d in th e c h a ra c te r of th e fr am e or la y- ou t of th e d e si g n , th a t of G ro li er b e in g a g eo m e tr ic al in te r la c in g of sq u a re s, se m i- ci rc le s a n d d ia m onds, w h il e th a t of M ai ol i is u su al ly of a sc ro ll sh ie ld 4
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8<%^<Sw ?ä IT A L IA N — X V I. CE NT UR Y.
l ' R E X C I I — l ' R A XC I SQ U E C A Z l N . C o p y o f G ro li e re s q u e B in d in g .
C H A P T E R II . * “B oo ks ca n n o t li v e lo n g iv it ko u t b in d in g s. " O O K B IN D IN G a t th e da w n of th e A rt in E ur op e w as no m or e th a n a sp ec ia l b ra n ch of th e c ra ft of th e go ld sm it h or th e ca rv er , an d a t fi rs t bu t a ru de a n d M an us cr ip ts , ta st el es s ex er ci se of th es e A rt s. of te n la vi sh ly an d gorg eo usl y il lu m in at ed , w er e th e on ly bo ok s in th os e da ys . T h e y w er e fe w an d co stl y, an d th ei r ow ne rs co ve re d th em w it h p la te s of go ld an d sil ve r, in cr u st e d w it h en am el s, iv or ie s an d pr ec io us sto ne s, or els e w it h p urp le or cr im so n ve lv et el ab ora te ly em bro id er ed w it h go ld , si lv er a n d co lo re d si lk en th re a d s a n d sp ri nkle d w it h pe ar ls . N ot m an y of th es e ric h b in d in g s ha ve su rv iv ed to ou r da y. U n d e r th e ed ic ts of ze al ou s re fo rm er s “ th e go ld an d si lv er o rn am en ts on Po pi sh bo ok s w er e st ri p ’t off an d pai d in to th e K in g ’s T re a s u ry .” T o th e ir re p ar ab le los s of all bi bl io ph ile s in ti m e to co me , th es e in cu nab ula of Bi bl io pe gi c A rt w er e ca st in to th e sa m e fie ry cr u cib le to w hi ch w er e co ns ig ne d so m an y re fu lg en t IT