Bookbinding Gallery

German Renaissance ornaments from book covers, (1898). Creator: Unknown

German Renaissance ornaments from book covers, (1898). Fig 1: Silver-edged book-cover (natural size) from the Sammlung vaterlandischer Altertumer at Stuttgart. Figs 2-36: Decorations on hog's-leather covers (executed in blind-printing) from the Royal "Hand-bibliothek" at Stuttgart...The most sumptuous...were covers decorated with real metal-work, especially when precious metals were employed. In this case the ornament is usually cast in relief or embossed. Fig 1, however shows an ornament of silver simply sawn out and afterwards engraved...in decorating the back of the book, cording in a pretty manner was made use of, this being marked either by leather pads or by deepened horizontal lines, thus producing several compartments which were filled up with simple decorations'. Plate 73 from "The Historic Styles of Ornament" translated from the German of H. Dolmetsch. [B.T. Batford, London, 1898]

© The Print Collector/Heritage Images