The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-24
Book Bindin 4.
Saturday ReVieW.l

The Adj, and other great printers, had
many ornaments, culs-de-lampe, fleurons,
and chapter-headings, which they trans
iferred to the leather covers of the works
they published. in France, the famous
printer, Geofroy Tory, even had his
mark, "a broken pipkin,) copied on the
bindings of the books. Early in the six
'teenth century morocco was introduced,
the arts of the printer and of the binder
were differentiated" and extremely
beautiful stools" (fers were cut to meet
the demands of amateurs. The forms
stamped on the leather retained their old
contours; but they were ightened, they
were no longer filled up with dead gold,
the mere outlines were gilded. ~
The illustrious Grolier's bindings are
decorated with bold lines. q survival of
the old style, arranged in geometrical
patterns, and intermixed with Light
sprays in the new manner. 1t is Ger
tainly marvel of decorative design,
and somewhat recalls the decoration OF
Pompeian door-panels, which, by the
way, might supply "motives" for mod
ern binders of classics Of the silver age.
The bindings Of Diana of Poictiers, of
Henri III and of Henri III, are very
characteristic. These great people were
not satisfied with unmeaning decorations.
They had their emblems introduced on
the covers Of their books-the boy and
culver, the crescent Of Diana; the inter
twined H and D; while for the pious
Henri III figures of the crucifxien we're
stamped, "emblems Of mortality, tears
with long curly tails) and edifying mot
toes.
As a reaction, perhaps, from this se-
verify, the seventeenth century binders
adopted a style Of almost fantastic fine
ness. This manner, in which the deli.
cate gilt lines and dots seem to lose
themselves, like the threads in lace, ID
called la Fanfare. Like the custom
of Borough English, these decorations
owe their name to an accident. Charles
Nodier, that great collector Of the last
generation, had book called Fanfare, u
which Thouvenin bound for'him in this
manner. LIE Gascon improved on this
style, both by the delieaoy of his tools
and his incomparably ingenious arrange
ment of effects. But the fashion of en-
bossing arms on bindings, which came in
under Louis XIV, rather injured the
decorative side of the art. These blaz.
:ons needed no special skill, but they
are now valued at exorbitant prices, be.
cause they prove that the book they
adorn lie atrelic of some famous library
.Mazarin's first collections, or Colbert's,
or d IHoym's, or that of Longepisnre, the
translator of the Greek ,bucolic poets.
Even the arms of Nine. !Du Barry, still
more those of Nine. De Pompaaour, raise
some fifty times the price Of ,abook. In
the eighteenth century ornamental fig
ures of birds and flowers became com.
mon, and .Padeloup excslled in mosaics Of
various colors of morocco. Deromet
decoration is thought heavy and clumsy
by MN. Michel, (authors Of a traction
the subject published by MN. Morgand
ct Fatout,) but Mr.. Zaehnsdorf recog
.nizes an Improvement in mechanical &C.
curacy and .solidty. Under the Empire
Bozerian bound books in the taste Of the
Empire, which was ghastly, and is well
known in the bastard Roman furniture
of the period. Our English Roger Payne
had heavy hand at ornament, lin ou
opinion,) but his work was so.stout and
permanent that "roads might have ,beel
paved with it" Modern binding ha
been brought to technical perfection b!
the immortal Trautz-Bauzonnet, Lortic
and other Frenchmen.