In the foregoing detailed descriptions I have included only the work of
English binders. There are, however, many books existing that have been
bound for English royal personages abroad. Instances of these occur
notably for Henry VIII., Elizabeth, James I., Henrietta Maria, Henrietta
Anna, Charles II., the Chevalier St. George, and Cardinal York. It will be
noticed that generally the ornamentation of English royal books is
heraldic, and that crowned initials are constantly used from the time of
Henry VIII. to William IV. To understand the royal coat-of-arms of England
it is necessary, at all events, to note the larger rearrangements of the
various quarterings, which on the Tudor bindings were simply France and
England, quarterly. The two great changes took place on the accession of
the Stuart line, when the coats of Scotland and England were introduced;
and on the accession of the Hanoverian line, when the family coat of the
Guelphs was introduced. There are several minor alterations and additions,
but these I have mentioned as they have occurred, and the only other
important change to remember is concerning the supporters. From the time
of Henry VII. until 1528 these were a dragon and a greyhound, and from
that time until Elizabeth they were a lion and a dragon. Since the time of
James I. they have been a lion and unicorn. Badges are constantly found on
Tudor and early Stuart bindings. They are the well-known ones of Tudor
origin--the double rose, portcullis, pomegranate, fleur-de-lis, and
falcon. The fleur-de-lis remains longest of these. The Prince of Wales'
feathers is commonly found on books from the time of Edward VI.
The styles of bindings used by these great royal houses have also
characteristics common to each of them. The bindings of the Tudor
period are most diversified in styles, and the majority of the leather
books are either bound by Thomas Berthelet, royal binder to Henry VIII.,
and his successors, or in his style. Under Elizabeth, the Italian fashion
of double boards, the upper of which is pierced, was used for very choice
work. Berthelet took his inspiration originally from Italian models, but
shortly developed a style of his own. Vellum was much used in connection
with gold stamped work, the first use of which in England is credited to
this binder.
[Illustration: Order of the Coronation of George III. and Queen Charlotte.
London, 1761. George III.]
The bindings of the early Stuart period may be considered remarkable for
the extensive use of what are called semées, successive and symmetrical
impressions from small stamps powdered over the sides of the book; and the
stamped velvet work done at Little Gidding is one of the glories of the
reign of Charles I.
Samuel Mearne was royal binder to Charles II., and many of his bindings
are of great beauty. His influence on English bookbinding remained for a
very long time, weakening gradually, until superseded by the newer style
introduced by Roger Payne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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