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The elaborate decorative gold tooling of the binding shown above has not been accomplished by the application of many small individual tools, but instead, has been imprinted by the use of a single large plate or 'plaque'. The idea of gold tooling by plaque had been around for centuries yet only became a successful venture around the mid 18th century when Rene Dubuisson and his son Pierre-Paul revived the process to mass produce decorated almanacs. This example is found on Plate 38 of the 1910 Paris publication entitled LIVRES DANS DE RICHES RELIURES by Édouard Rahir. Below is a British Library example, it is shown a bit larger than actual size (see 0 - 10 cm scale). |
| Below is an example found in the 2eme Partie: Reliures de quelques ateliers du XVII Siècle & Livres en divers genres du XVIIe et XVIIIe Siècles, this is the second volume of Raphaël Esmerian's, 6 volume work entitled, Bibliotheque Raphael Esmerian published in French by Georges Blaizon, Paris 1972-1974. It is Catalogue item #112, page 142. Esmerian notes this binding as being decorated with a Dubuisson plaque (Rahir 184 i) however it is said to have been executed in the 'Atelier de Vente'. |
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