Additional creatorCanne, John, -1667?TitleHoly BibleDate of publication1700Description
This is an 18th century Scottish binding with a double panel on the sides, the centre having a backbone feather pattern. There are silver corners signed 'I.B.' and silver clasps, parts of which are missing.
Clasps and ties on books were originally more than decoration. Before books were printed on paper they were hand written usually on vellum. This material is very reactive to weather conditions and is difficult to keep flat. Clasps or more simply ties were used in an attempt to keep the pages flat. Initially simply straps or bands of leather, these were later refined to plaited thongs fastened over a small peg on the front cover. Later two straps were used, and a further development was replacing the peg with a metal clasp. These could be quite elaborate.
When pasteboard replaced wooden boards in the binding it became difficult to attach the metal clasps, nor were they by this time technically necessary, as books were generally smaller and printed on paper which was not subject to fluctuating weather conditions.
Gold tooling is considered to have been introduced to Europe in the mid-1400s and spread to England by the end of the century. It was another century before it was widely adopted. In this method small tools are used to apply a variety of small designs, which together combine to create a larger pattern. The combination of different tools varied the pattern that could be applied. Paper patterns were used from about 1830 to produce blind impressions, which could then be tooled in gold without the risk of errors showing on the leather.
