The sun., 1902-11-03
EXHIBITION OF ARTISTIC BOOK
BINDINGS.


tful display that Justifes a careful, de-
tailed study. There is a general excellence
in the matter of the actual hiding. the
edges firm and true ard the covers flexible
as well as secure. 4 corresponding quality
is evident in the texture Of the hhldu e.;
the leather has been reduced 10 fine s''-
facs without, however. its virtue having
brsn crushed olt Of it. II still IT., ains
ali animation TO eye and touch II. IL"
colors also and in the d sign Of the dscora-
tiCI there is a prevalence Of reserve and
good taste. Naturally, it is when one
studies the character Of the various des gEs
that the greatest differences apes and
most particularly IN the technical app.i-
cation Of the design. Within the limited
area of "A binding everything i, focused
to such clear inspection and the gold tool
ing protests so prominently upon it, field
of leather that the least irresolution of
touch makes itself acutely felt. Thus
certainty Of tooling. SO that the lines and
patterns have a firm conci-eless and an
appearance, of being inevitably suitable
become conspicuous virtues. II il with
the French ~finshers" that enc associates
these qualities most immediately
None Of them reveals this perfect ion of
technical skill. as Judged by the present
collection, more uthoritativelythan NJ rius-
Michel He will treat rs 10 bread ex-
pans, Of open leather, with simple border,
and yet the effect shall be "a sump,lous
rs more elaborate design because Of
the nice adjustment Of the means employed
and the exquisite precision Of the toolug.
In the establishment given 20 Dauiet's
Fremont Jrune ct Risler Aiue he adds
device of scroll and folia'ions in the cor
ners that Is charming in its elegant free
dom. For the alIrement Of his work
consists as much in the perfect f1uenrv
of the design as in its mastery sureness of
execution. These are qualities that re-
appear in the work Of the English fnisher,
Miss Prideaux, of whose work there are
many fine examples. She offers a much
larger range Of motive than the French
artist; decorating Rosina Filippi's Three
japanese Plays" with a very original de-
sign in which wavy lines, crossing the
cover horizontally. suggest the water Of a
wind stirred pond on which a few lilies
are floating: or Flaubert's LA Lesende de
Saint Julien L'Hospitalier, with checker
work Of vertical and horizontal lines. the
alternate squares being filled with a violet
blossom and stalk or again in the case Of
Tennyson's In Memoriam." and Lyric
Poems" with a bold pattern of scrolls
ending in a large calyx In all Of these
an agreeable ina gnativeness of con-
ception is expressed with precision and
freedom Of handling that are admira BILE
Notwithstanding these evident virtues.
one may find her bindings less thoroughly
satisfying than NJ. Maru Michels. and
if so il is probably because they lack the
saving grace of reserve, More orr ginal
ii r.
a. they are further removed from the older
| models on which his are based, and If W
| are not quite prepared TO acQuiesce in their
| originality il may be for the same reason
| that we are little shy of design tha,
seems rather to be applied 10 the book
| than to have grown reasonably and inevi-
| tably out Of the leather cover, preser rving
most essentially the idea that II is frst
| and all the time the cover Of a book. This
| however. is nicely of preference that may
well be left for decision to the taste and
| convc, ions Of the individual collector.
Following the line Of originality and
greater elaboration. we may note the work
| Of Miss Johanna Birkenruth. who also
works in London But her bindings ex-
press the exuberance Of the German feeling
| for decorat ior. Especially handsome is her
| treatment Of Svmonds's Many Moods, the
doudlure Of which is framed in with a series
Of well-chosen borders while from one side
projects a large irregular triangle sown will
| minute holows and lined with rada'ing
, stems terminating in lotus flowers This
| forms a mass of gold. very superb In eject
and a lavish use Of gold also characterizcs
all her designs Perhaps the most truly
pleasing of her examples is the setting
given 10 Daniels Loves Labor Not Lost ="
in which a wide panel border surrounds
| a field Of green inlaid with cream-c olored
| blossoms; a design most sprightlv and re-
| fined By that other German worker In
| London. Zaehnsdorf, is a clothing for
Morier Willams's Indian drama, "Sakoon-
ta'A" that introduces motives Of Indian
decoration in the masses OF fooled ornament
that fll the corners. and in the centre an
elaborated foliated design stamped in gold
Tho effect is certainly very rich. hut not
without a certain barharic display, that
makes il rather snowy than tasteful.
Fouallv elaborate but more refined in feel
ing, Is the design with which he has enriched
Fastwcks THE Goolistan;" and, perhaps.
more pleasing still is the cover to Gold
smiths Vicar Of Wakefield. with its nicely
contrived repeated pattern Of sort Of
neur de Tvs But the example that many
Of us will covet is little Virgil Of the Pick
erine miniature classics, clad In dark brown
with a reduced imitation Of Roger Payre
design The latter il very elaborate and
here rendered with such minute delicacy
that richness a. we'll as daintiness ia Sc
cured The little volume is treat TO hand
and eve.
Among the more fanciful bindings is
that 10 Totaire's la Pucelle d'Orleans. "
executed by David, which has UP each side
an inlaid band Of wine-colored leather
| around which is twisted a gold wreath Of
leaves and flowers; tho verticals bein z
connected at the top by an arch of similar
wreaths from which suspends a basket
while at the bottom is a bolder device of
| a cartouche supported by rococo acanthlls.
While the design might easily have been
frivolous il Is wrought with such assurance
| Of touch and maintains at the sa me time
| 90 sprightly a feeling that II proves very
| alhring On the other hand, a greater
virilny is displayed in his treatment Of
| La Fontaine's Adonis and for this very
reason the binding is likely 10 receive more
unqualified approval An extreme ele-
gaice, allied 10 quiet and simplicity, marks
the two examples Of Otto Zatn, Coleridgc s
Ancient Mariner" and Roketts and
Pissarro'e De Ia Typo sraplia" Both
| are executed with doCisOn that gives
the toauosi'y aud almost nervous SON.
sib.ltc of III" design certain force of
character Bot hi. finest piece is a setting
os Tenuvson's Lyric POEMS" on each
cover or which !, n ocr:rc of wires and
leaves with viclotS and rus"s inlail H.
color, surrounded hr AT outside border
of inlaid yiolcts Tie Gceigu is exceed
inglv chaetc and the toolmg that of mas- :
TER craftsman, A fine example of COM
pe,slv honest binding and Of refined re-
serve on the part of tho flrisher IS shown
| IL. r,bI.n,- & tTaqfrnfui pf