Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

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marbled edges

Veined or mottled coloring on the edges of a book in imitation of marble, and produced by touching the edge of the book under compression on the surface of a size on which marbling colors have been floated and patterned, or by transferring the pattern to the edge.

Marbling of book edges was introduced near the end of the 17th century, mainly on trade books bound in calfskin and sheepskin. Fine bindings were not so marbled until the closing years of the 18th century. These latter bindings were usually half or full bindings of Russia leather, usually of quarto or folio size. All classes of books bound in morocco continued to be gilded until well into the 19th century, i.e., the 1830s, when cheaper morocco bindings began being marbled. Marbled edges were common until the First World War, when the practice began to decline, except for stationery bindings. See also: MARBLE ROLLERS ;MARBLE TRANSFER ;MARBLING .

(236 , 241 , 327 )




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