snail marble
A drawn marble pattern executed by dropping the
colors on the size as for the NONPAREIL MARBLE and
then drawing them into wavy lines. one by one with
the aid of a stylus. thus producing snail-like
forms. Variations of this pattern, which is
usually used on the edges of books. include: 1)
the gray snail. with green added to the gray until
the desired tone is obtained; 2) the common
green-gray snail, with black, light blue, yellow.
pink, light red, gall water. and finally. the body
color. which consists of one part black and two or
three parts sprinkling water, all dropped on in
the order given and drawn into snails; 3) the dark
blue snail (a brilliant marble designed for
light-colored bindings), which consists of black,
light brown, light blue, lemon yellow, gall water
and the body color, which consists of one part
black and two parts indigo blue, sprinkling water
plus a solution of shellac and ammonia; 4) the
dark red snail (which was frequently used with
half bindings having light colored spines and
endpapers of the same pattern), consisting of
black, light red, pink, light gray. gall water and
the body color, which consists of two parts
carmine lake, one part black and two parts
sprinkling water plus the shellac-ammonia
solution; and 5) the gray-green snail, consisting
of black, claret red (two parts carmine lake and
one part black), pink, gall water (which forms the
required white veins) and the body color, which
consists of one part black. three parts sprinkling
water, as well as green. (151 )
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