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COMPARATIVE IMPLEMENTOLOGY

Sixteenth Century Finishing Tools - France

Fleur-de-lis Binder

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Comparative Diagram 1 - Fleur-de-lis binder plaque vs Bayfius binder plaques.

(click on this image to see a 600 dpi enlargement)

On the previous page we were examining Nixon's introduction to the Fleur-de-lis Binder. He proposed, as early Fleur-de-lis binder examples, his binding No. 12 as well as another Bayfius example (now known as Davis366) sited by Dr Ilse Schunke,. These bindings appear to share a common plaque and other tools with Binding 15. However in Comparative Diagram 1, we can see that the two Bayfus plaques are not the same as the one found on Binding 15. Binding 15 may be the only true Fleur-de-lis binding example that we can count on. So let us examine closely some of the tool imprints found on it.


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Nixon 1965 Binding example No. 15 PL. XV (LIVY, 1521, 8vo. BRITISH MUSEUM).

(click on this image to see a 300 dpi enlargement)



The first imprint I would like to point out is shown in Comparative Diagram 2. It is Nixon's EF. 20 imprint, it is often found in the bindings of the Fleur-de-lis Binder. I show Nixon's rubbing and an actual imprint, enlarged to 400 dpi, along with these I present a Etienne Roffet tool imprint of the same type, however it is quite different and very refined. If there is a link between the Fleur-de-lis binder and Roffet, this is not it!
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Comparative Diagram 2 - Fleur-de-lis binder imprint EF. 20 - Nixon's 1965 rubbing EF.20 vs Fleur-de-lis binder imprint vs Roffet imprint.

(click on this image to see a 600 dpi enlargement)



The next imprint I would like to point out is one that I suspect leads people into thinking that Roffet may be the Fleur-de-lis binder. It is shown in Comparative Diagram 3. along with Nixon's 1965 rubbing of it, it too is often found in the bindings of the Fleur-de-lis Binder. At the same period, Roffet was using a similat tool, however on closer inspection we see that it is quite different. If there is a link between the Fleur-de-lis binder and Roffet, this is not it!
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Comparative Diagram 3 - Fleur-de-lis binder imprint EF. 24 - Nixon's 1965 rubbing EF.20 vs Fleur-de-lis binder imprint vs Roffet imprint.

(click on this image to see a 600 dpi enlargement)

Finally in this series of Roffet comparisons, I present in Comparative Diagram 4, Nixon's rubbing of his EF. 19 imprint. This looks so much like Roffet's tool of the same kind that you need strong magnification to see the differences but there are differences, if there is a link between the Fleur-de-lis binder and Roffet, this is not it either!
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Comparative Diagram 4 - Fleur-de-lis binder imprint EF. 19 - Nixon's 1965 rubbing EF.19 vs Fleur-de-lis binder imprint vs Roffet imprint.

(click on this image to see a 600 dpi enlargement)

In Comparative Diagram 5, I show something which is perhaps more important. I compare Nixon's EF. 19 rubbing and Fleur-de-lis imprint with a Bayfius Binder imprint of the same type. Here we find a close match so I am forced to conclude that the Bayfius Binder is perhaps, after all the Fleur-de lis binder. In this case I have a very interesting binding to present on the next page.
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Comparative Diagram 5 - Fleur-de-lis binder imprint EF. 19 - Nixon's 1965 rubbing EF.19 vs Fleur-de-lis binder imprint vs Bayfius Binder imprint.

(click on this image to see a 600 dpi enlargement)




See the next page Christie's Fleur-de-lis Binder, Lot 103




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

l.a.miller@mail.pf