Marble calf bindings reached great popularity during the nineteenth century.
Tree calf marbling.
In tree marbling as of tree calf bindings the design suggests also the trunk and branches of a tree.
A decoration applied to paper that can be used as endpapers cover papers and book edges.
The leather isfirst paste washed and the book is then hungbetween two rods which keep the covers flat.
One special variation of this technique is known as tree calf named for the visual image created on the surface of the leather of a tree trunk and spreading branches.
To tree marble calf on the skin for half bindings the skin is prepared by paste washing colouring and glairing as done on the book the skin is then laid upon a board the board being slightly elevated at one end water is then thrown on evenly all over and sprinkled.
Tree calf stained by an interaction of copperas and pearl ash to produce a dark pattern along theboards.
Using my handy phone torch in lieu of light sheet i found these fleur de lis watermarks at the gutter and on the edges of the pages.
The trunk of the tree is produced in the bottom of the trough.
Pre dating tree marbling were several other types of marbled calf that employed similar techniques that of throwing water on to the covers and as the water ran down the cover other solutions were thrown on to form veins.
Depending on the pattern of marbling required the dots and circles of color are combed or drawn into.
Marble calf should not be confused with marbling the process of using color inks or paints to create decorative patterns on a variety of surfaces including leather paper and cloth.
Sheets of paper to be marbled are washed with alum water which acts as a mordant for the colors allow to dry slightly then floated on the.
The common marble was used on many books and the picture on the following page gives an example of this type of marble.
A trough is filled with a carragheen moss or gum tragacanth solution and on its surface is floated special watercolors plus ox gall which acts as a.
Morrell sons and zaehnsdorf produced tree calf bindings with w.
Marbling in bookbinding a process of coloring the sides edges or end papers of a book in a design that suggests the veins and mottles of marble.
Morocco made of goatskin and often dyed in strong bold colors morocco bindings are known for both their beauty and durability.
In the usual manner a dual designappears on upper and lower covers.
The large bookbinding companies such as w t.
The use of diluted acid can create a variety of effects.
However this article is not about tree calf marbling rather about discovery.
In tree marbling liquid colors are run over a surface bent to form a trough.
Tree calf tree marble a form of cover decoration consisting of a smooth light colored calfskin treated with chemicals insuch a manner as to represent a tree trunk withbranches.
Lesley had been completely entranced by a travel guide to syria and egypt printed in 1788.
