An Essay in the History of Gold-Tooled
Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
London 1894
vellum leaf, which thus forms a vellum joint; leaving three fly-leaves of paper, and one of vellum.
The backs of these books are enriched by five double bands, upon which the sections are sewn,
and two kettle-stitch bands, tooled with lines in blind and gold, and the edges are plain gilt. The
decoration of the boards consists in an interlaced fillet, formed by two gilt lines, between which
blind lines are sometimes run; the angles, and the central space, are relieved by solid figured
tools in gold; and the whole is contained by gilt border-lines: on some examples, there is rio
blind tooling. The name of the author, and sometimes the name of the work, are tooled in the
centre of the upper board; and between the border-lines at the tail-edge of the same, the in
scription, '10. GROLIERII ET AMICORVM.' In the centre of the lower board is the legend;
PORTIO MEA DO MINE SIT IN TERRA VI VENTI VM
Although the copies bound in this manner, greatly vary in point of date, the same tools continue
to be used, as on a Martial printed in 1501 [Co 19. b. 4-], and the third volume of a copy of
Pliny's Natural Histories, printed in 1540 [C. 19. b. 23.]. Among other examples of these bindings,
which the Museum possesses, are an A uS01zius, I 5 17 [C. 19. b. 6.], P omponius Meta, etc.,
1518 [C. 19. b. 18.], and SiNus Italicus, 1523 [C. 19. b.]. There is, also, among the books of
Grolier, a number of volumes in folio, printed at various presses, the bindings of which possess
all the characteristics of the smaller Aldine books: of these, an admirable example may be seen
on a copy of Wittekindus, De Rebus Gestis Saxonum, Basle, 1532 [Co 24. c.]. The smaller Aldine
bindings are, certainly, of Italian workmanship; but in some of these larger bindings, there is a
certain refinement, which is afterwards found developed in a manner peculiarly French.
Something of that delicacy, which became distinctive of the severe art of Florence, after it had
been brought by Primaticcio to Fontainebleau, becomes, also, characteristic of Venetian binding
when carried into France, a country, at that time, 'more