Book Plates (48831)

A bookplate, also known as ex libris , is commonly a printed piece of paper pasted on one of the pages of a book, most often on the inside front cover showing ownership. They replaced book rhymes after the 19th century. more...

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Bookplates typically bear a name, motto, device, coat-of-arms, crest, badge, or any design that signifies ownership of the book. It is usually followed by a name in the genitive case, e.g., "from the books of . . . " or "from the library of . . . " It may also be written as ex libris.

Ownership inscriptions in books did not become common in Europe until the 13th century, when various other forms of "librarianship" became widespread (such as the use of class-marks, call-numbers, or shelfmarks). The earliest known examples of book-plates are German. The earliest surviving example of a printed bookplate is from the 15th century. The oldest movable ex-libris are certain woodcuts representing a shield of arms supported by an angel (See Figure 1), which were pasted in books presented to the Carthusian monastery of Buxheim by Brother Hildebrand Brandenburg of Biberach, about the year 1480—the date being fixed by that of the recorded gift. The woodcut, in imitation of similar devices in old manuscripts, is hand-painted. In France the most ancient ex-libris as yet discovered is that of one Jean Bertaud de la Tour-Blanche, the date of which is 1529. Holland comes next with the plate of Anna van der Aa, in 1597; then Italy with one attributed to the year 1622. The earliest known American example is the plain printed label of John Williams, 1679.

A sketch of the history of the book plate, either as a minor work of symbolical and decorative art, or as an accessory to the binding of books, must obviously begin in Germany, not only because the earliest examples known are German, but also because they are found in great numbers long before the fashion spread to other countries, and are often of the highest artistic interest. Albrecht Dürer is known to have actually engraved at least six plates (some of very important size) between 1503 and 1516, and to have supplied designs for many others. Several notable plates are ascribed to Lucas Cranach and to Hans Holbein, and to that bevy of so-called Little Masters, the Behams, Virgil Solis, Matthias Zundt, Jost Amman, Saldorfer, Georg Hupschmann and others. The influence of these draughtsmen over the decorative styles of Germany has been felt through subsequent centuries down to the present day, notwithstanding the invasion of successive Italian and French fashions during the 17th and 18th centuries, and the marked effort at originality of composition observable among modern designers. The heavy, over-elaborated German style never seems to have affected neighbouring countries; but since it was undoubtedly from Germany that was spread the fashion of ornamental book-plates as marks of possession, the history of German ex libris remains on that account one of high interest to all those who are curious in the matter.

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