Twelve Centuries of Bookbindings: 400 - 1600 First edition. by Needham, Paul - 1979

New York & London: The Pierpont Morgan Library and Oxford University Press, 1979. Hardback. Approx. 310mm x 230mm. xxvii, 338pp. Publisher's original red cloth binding with contrasting black panel to spine printed gilt. Dust jacket in a protective sleeve. This book traces the history of bookbinding, form its beginnings to the end of the sixteenth century, through detailed consideration of one hundred important examples in The Pierpont Morgan Library. An introductory essay discusses the origin of the craft in the early Christian centuries; another discusses the mediaeval ecclesiastical tradition of "treasure" bindings, bookcovers of gold, silver, ivory, gems, enamel and other precious materials; a third surveys the development of leather bindings in early mediaeval Europe. Included are a group of important Coptic bindings, one of which is among the earliest intact bindings to have survived; ten mediaeval treasure bindings; and an extensive series of late fifteenth and sixteenth-century gold-tooled bindings, made for major patrons of the book arts of Renaissance Europe. All the bindings discussed are illustrated, including seven colour plates and numerous figures in text and diagrams. There are also extensive indexes and a bibliography. Book in very good+ condition. Some very slight rubbing to bottom edges of boards and extremities of spine. A very small amount of soiling to bottom text block edge. Almsot imperceptible touch of spotting to top text block edge. Dust jacket good. Price clipped. A little edge wear. Some small nicks and creases to extremities of spine and other vulnerable points. Light corner crease to bottom of rear flap. Spine slightly faded.