sprinkled edges
The head, or all three edges, of a book which have
been cut solid and sprinkled, usually with an
earth pigment, such as bole, dissolved in a
non-spirit solvent. Sprinkled edges are intended
to be decorative and to prevent the edges from
appearing to be soiled. The technique has been
used since the 16th century, generally on trade
and edition bindings, ordinary library bindings,
and also on dictionaries and similar publications.
Venetian red has always been the color most often
used, possibly because it does not clash with
other colors, such as endpapers or the leather
covering. A good deal of the early sprinkling is
very fine and even, so much so that at first
glance it appears to be a solid color. (343 )
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