Blind Tooling -This is seldom done upon the sides of morocco-covered books. With calf it is not uncommon to run a roll round the board, and to fill up the central space with blind work produced by plates, and known as "graining." The plates are of metal, and bear the "grain" that it is desired to impart to the leather on one side.

One of the most common patterns is that termed "russia." For this, slight file-cuts are made round a sheet iron or copper plate, and thin copper wire is coiled around, passing into each of these saw slots. When all the wire is wound, the plate is covered with molten solder on one side, which solders the wire firmly to that side of the plate. The folds of loose wire on the other side are then removed, and the working face of the plate resembles A (Fig. 147), the lines of wire standing up boldly. To use these plates, one is placed on each side of the book, the whole put between boards, well pulled down in the standing-press, and left in all night, or longer. When removed, it will be found that the plates have stamped in the pattern A (Fig. 147) on each side.

The plates are now reversed, so that the lines run across those already made, and again screwed down in the press. When taken out, the side will be found to bear the complete russia pattern, as at B (Fig. 147).

Besides the above pattern, there are others known as morocco, turkey, fish scale, basket, shagreen, waving, and double patterns. These are engraved in solid metal plates, and are used the same as the "russia" plates, but do not need reversal and a second impression.

Inlaying -From a very early period in the history of bookbinding, endeavors have been made to get variety by embellishing the sides of the boards in various devices with pieces of leather of different color to that which the book

was bound in. This is termed "inlaying." Most of the larger volumes in the famous library of the celebrated Grolier, chancellor of France, were inlaid.

The pattern generally used was that of interlaced strapwork. In Grolier's time, this peculiar kind of ornament was very popular, especially in Flanders and Germany, and to some extent in France, as a general decorative enrichment; it consists of a narrow fillet or band folded and crossed, and occasionally interlaced with another, the convolutions sometimes exhibiting much ingenious elaboration. The style originated, however, at a much earlier period. A specimen which dates as far back. as the eleventh century, and possesses all the characteristics of the Byzantine art of that time, is sculptured in stone over the church gate at Nassau, Saxony. The adoption of this peculiar ornament was exceedingly common in the later days of the Renaissance, and became a prevailing characteristic of that style. It was carried to perfection under Henri II. of France, and hence it is not surprising to find it brought into the bookbinding of that era. Books so bound are often called "Groliers" in the present day, from those of that chancellor bound in this style.

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