Bowdoin College
Library / George J. Mitchell Dept. of Special Collections & Archives

Bound and Determined: The Remarkable Physical History of the Book

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Marbling

Marbling
Image 4 of 12

Marbling was practiced in Japan as early as the 12th century, and the process was known and understood in Persia and Turkey long before it was imported into Western Europe. By 1600, France and the Netherlands established themselves as centers for its production, and the marble paper then spread quickly across Europe. Some of the most beautiful early bindings feature marbled paper, often with a leather spine and corners to extend its life.

François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon’s The adventures of Telemachus, the son of Ulysses London: Printed for W. Meadows ... [and 12 others], 1759.

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