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COMPARATIVE IMPLEMENTOLOGY

French Decorative Bookbinding - Sixteenth Century

Atelier I B - Binding Example 2

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Binding shown at close to actual size

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The binding shown above is found in the online digital collection of BIBLIOTHEQUE SAINTE-GENEVIEVE (12th -18th CENTURIES).This database is devoted to the description and the reproduction of blind-tooled bookbindings in the collections of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève. I have chosen this binding as the second from the Atelier "I B" for a number of reasons, this roll is commonly found on bindings from this workshop and almost always found with the twisted pineapple roll, although here on such a small binding there is hardly enough room for anything else. We know from the BSG data that this binding has to be later than 1515, and perhaps was made for someone with the initials F B. From out previous studies we know that this roll matches very closely the original panel from which it was copied. I speculate that it may be the very first of this sort however I have no proof. Many rolls of this type appeared in this period however none match so closely the original panel that can be found decorating books of hours from at least a decade earlier. (See this page for more details)

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Comparative Diagram 1 - Renaissance vasques roll from binding OEA 117 vs Gid RCm 5 roulette vs decorative panel

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Comparative Diagram 2 - Gid (1984 tome II (tool catalogue) Renaissance continu Pl. 85 (with dates)

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In Comparative Diagram 2, I show Denise Gid plate 85 inverted and with dates added. Gid did not indicate dates for her catalogued roulettes. I have done so, however the dates should be considered as speculative at best. They are based on the printing dates of the books inside the bindings on which they are found, in some cases I have omitted questionable dates. This serves as a rough guide to when these roulettes were popular. There are at least 6 similar plates of these Reanaissance continue roulettes and really this is just the tip of the iceburg for this type which evolved into yet different types.


Below you will find a partial inventory of the Gid Plates with dates added. Each is shown here in a reduced size that is linked to enlargements. The actual illustrations have been inverted from black on white to while on black to allow a better view of the detail that is visually more like what we actually encounter on the bookbindings. We start here at Plate 81, to give some idea of the range of the Renaissance continu roulettes, and end at Plate 98, the last plate in the catalogue, a monumental work of enormous research potential.

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Plate 81, second page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCb3 to RCe4.
Dates from 1516 - 1537 mainly grouped around 1515 - 1520.

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Plate 82, the third page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCf to RCg6.
Dates from 1515 - 1534, mainly grouped around 1520 - 1530.

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Plate 83, the fourth page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCg7 to RCh2.
Dates from 1515 - 1532, mainly grouped around 1520 - 1530.

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Plate 84, the fifth page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCh3 to RCk2.
Dates from 1516 - 1526, mainly grouped around 1518 - 1525.

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Plate 85, the sixth page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCk3 to RCm5.
Dates from 1516 - 1531, mainly grouped around 1516 - 1522.

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Plate 86, the seventh page of the RC examples (renaissance continu), RCm6 to RCr1.
Dates from 1514 - 1535, mainly grouped around 1520. (note: RCq1 could be reclassified)

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Plate 87, the beginning of the RS examples (renaissance segmenté), RCr2, RSa1 to RSb1.
Dates from 1520 - 1545, mainly grouped around 1525 to 1530. (note: RCr2 should be reclassified)

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Plate 88, the second page of the RS examples (renaissance segmenté), RSb2 to RSe1.
Dates from 1520 - 1540, mainly grouped around 1528 to 1532.

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Plate 89, the last RS examples, and the beginning of the ST examples (Stirgille), RSe2 to RSe5 and STa1 to STa13.
Dates from 1520 - 1530, for the RS and 1525 to 1540 for the ST mainly grouped around 1530 or older.

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Plate 90, the second page of the ST examples (Stirgille), STa14 to STd10.
Dates from 1530 - 1546, grouping around 1540.

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Plate 91, the first page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMa1 to TMd2.
Dates from 1525 - 1535, grouped after 1530.

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Plate 92, the second page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMd3 to TMe4.
Dates from 1525 - 1535, grouped around 1530.

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Plate 93, the third page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMf1 to TMh2.
Dates from 1535 - 1540, grouped around 1540.

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Plate 94, the fourth page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMh3 to TMk3.
Dates grouping around 1528 to 1532.

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Plate 95, the fifth page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMl1 to TMn4.
Dates from 1525 to 1540, grouped around 1530.

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Plate 96, the sixth page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMn5 to TMq5.
Dates from 1525 to 1540, grouped around 1530.

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Plate 97, the seventh page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMq6 to TMs7.
Dates from 1533 to 1541, grouped around 1535 to 1537.

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Plate 98, the eight and last page of the TM examples (Tête dans Médalion), TMt1 to TMw2.
Dates from 1530 to 1557, grouped around 1535 to 1545.

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click on this link to see the next page: Atelier I B example 3






information about the author return to the home page of VIRTUAL BOOKBINDING

l.a.miller@mail.pf