An Essay in the History of Gold-Tooled
Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
London 1894
the De Clvitate Dei [Add. MS. 14,783.], which possesses great beauty of design, and differs
somewhat from the more common pattern. But the use of gold, if at first confined to the gilding
of the roundels, was soon applied to other parts of the tooling. Upon the manuscript of a
treatise by Lucius Fenestella, De Magistratz"bus Romanorum, etc., [Egerton MS. 2617.], a
lozenge-shaped centre-piece, enclosing a dragon's head, is wholly gilt: as likewise is a knot of
rope-work, upon a little codex of Martz”al, [Add. MS. 12,004.]; the edges of which are gilt and
gauffered. These Italian bindings afford a
remarkable contrast to the contemporary stamped bindings of Germany and England; in which
the ornament, often very admirable in itself, and presenting not only figures and symbols, but
also scenes and incidents, of great significance to the antiquary, was invented and refined upon
for its own sake. In the Italian bindings, on the contrary, a few simple elements are combined
and arranged in repetition, to produce a certain total impression, to which the details of the
ornament are always subservient: and in this way a certain fine and simple richness of effect is
obtained, which must always the rather commend itself to an ordered taste. These water-gilt
bindings are also found, but more rarely, upon printed books, as well as upon manuscripts. A
copy of a treatise by Leonicenus Omnibonus, De Octo Partz"bus Oratz"onzs, Venice, 1474,
preserved in the British Museum [C. 66. d. 7.], is bound in this manner, with copper-gilt roundels.
The introduction of gold tooling into Italy has been attributed, without any authority, to Aldus
Manutius, apparently from the fact that his name is the first which occurs in connection with the
art: but it is more probable, that the method, first practised in Venice, was brought into common
use by its employment upon the books of his impression. Although he first set up his press, at
Venice, in 1494; he did not commence printing his editions of the Latin classics, with italic types,
in eights, until 1501, in which year he published the Virgil. The forms, both of the book, and of
the type, were new: and the success of the device was unprecedented. It is probable, that
upon the bindings of these books gold tooling was first generally employed. A copy of the Statz"
us, printed by Aldus in 1502, and retaining its original binding, is in my own possession. The
boards, which are of wood, are covered with brown leather: either cover is decorated by a
figured border in blind, of arabesques ending in dolphins, formed by the repetition of a single
tool: and in the centre of the panel, contained by this border, is a knot of Arabic work in gold
tooling. The back, which has double bands, is decorated in the manner of the earlier
manuscripts, which I have already described: the edges are gilt and gauffered with interlaced
ropework: and the book originally possessed two. clasps upon the fore edge.