Читать книгу Thomas Berthelet, Royal Printer and Bookbinder to Henry VIII., King of England онлайн

10 страница из 19

The Winchester Domesday Book of the twelfth century, now belonging to the Society of Antiquaries of London, is a charming and typical specimen of this work; it is bound in dark brown goatskin, and ornamented with impressions in blind from beautifully cut small cameo stamps. The main scheme of the decoration is two large circles, one above the other, enclosed within a rectangular panel. The circles as well as the lines of the panel are curiously made up of successive impressions of small stamps. Those used in the circles are cut in such a manner that they can be used either separately or in combination. Used together, of course, certain stamps will only combine properly to form a circle of a particular

PLATE IV.

LEGEND WRITTEN ON THE EDGES OF A VOLUME OF SIXTEENTH-CENTURY TRACTS. BOUND IN RED SATIN FOR HENRY VIII.

See page 66.

circumference, as they are designed in short segments of circles, drop shaped, or in lozenge shapes, smaller at the base than at the top. It must be noted that the use of stamps cut in such a manner as to combine easily in circular forms is a characteristic of early English work. This circle, differently produced, however, will presently be seen again in Berthelet’s designs, and it reappeared also in the seventeenth century on much of the remarkable work done on leather as well as on velvet, at the very interesting establishment founded at Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire by Nicholas Ferrar. Parts of circles are sometimes, but not often, found on the bindings made for Jean Grolier during the first half of the sixteenth century, but it is very seldom that the circle itself occurs as an integral part of the design on bookbindings. The circle as originally used in the artistic ornamentation of sculptures, goldsmiths’ work, and the arts generally was probably a sun-sign. I fear bookbinding is not old enough to come under this ancient art influence very strongly; but it is just possible that the artists who designed the ornamentation of the leather covers of several of the splendid bindings made in England in Mediæval times, based largely upon the circle, and who cut their stamps so as easily to produce circles, may have been unconsciously following out the lines of thought inherited by them from artistic ancestors imbued with the ancient traditions. Crosses as well as circles are found sometimes on early leather bindings, but not in English work, and with these two exceptions I do not think any of the ancient symbols are represented in this particular line of art.