Late Medieval book cover, pigskin leather over wooden covers and stamp embossed ornaments
Noteworthy are the metal fittings for the protection of the leather, the vertical lining and two clasps.
15th century book cover, pigskin leather on wooden covers
The metal and leather clasp added for the protection of the book interferers with the decorativeness of the cover’s sparsely cut double lining.
Flexible book cover, leather on cardboard, middle of the 16th century
The three-framed decoration with figurines and ornaments is covered by a flap with brass strip on the right. A previous owner’s signature label was preserved on the cover.
16th century book cover, pigskin leather on wood on wooden covers
Apart from the sparse decoration with ornaments, figurines and single stamps, the book cover shows the year of binding 1536, and the presumed owner’s initials BR. A book lash is attached to the rear cover, e.g. for fastening the book to a belt.
Three 16th century covers stemming from the electoral library’s foundation period
Left: A so-called commodity book cover with pigskin leather on wooden covers bound in 1556, the electoral library’s presumed founding year. A Saxon code of arms showing 15 carrels and the sovereign’s initials in golden lettering (AHZSK) is depicted in the centre.
Middle: A flexible parchment cover. A gold plated double frame shows the Saxon code of arms, the year of binding (1585) and the sovereign’s initials (AHZSC).
Right: A flexible parchment cover held together by ties. The corner tiles are put into the framework a little untidily and reveal a Saxon code of arms and the year of binding1595. Particularly noteworthy features are the gold plated ornaments imprinted on the edges.
Jakob Krause (1526-1585)
Is the most eminent Renaissance book binder of the German-speaking region. Elector August called him to Dresden in 1565. Both gold plated calfskin covers show different designs by the master craftsman.
The left cover shows an illustration of Elector August at the centre of a triple frame with corner tiles.
The embossing on the right cover also includes a triple frame with corner tiles and a Saxon code of arms with 15 carrels and the sovereign’s initials. The code of arms is framed by a reference to the volume’s content; the 1573 book of herbs by Adam Loncier and the year of binding, 1582.
The so-called supralibros (also: superexlibris),
which identifies the owner of the library and his code of arms, was especially popular in Baroque times. Here, public and private owned books are standing side by side.
The covers on the left are illustrated with a gold plated tripartite Saxon-Polish code of arms and the year 1716 on parchment, and a gold plated Saxon-Polish code of arms in two medallions on red leather.
Covers on the right are decorated with the gold plated code of arms of counts Heinrich von Brühl(1700-1763) and Heinrich von Bünau (1697-1762). After their deaths, the Electoral Library
purchased the noblemen’s valuable private libraries.
Sheet music covers
Also handwritten musical scores were preciously bound at the Saxon court. Covers range from simple triple frame decorations with music title, to a decoration of numerous ornaments, gold plated and painted covers.
The right cover is framed by a simple chain pattern. Its centre holds the gold plated Wittelsbach code of arms belonging to Maria Antonia Walpurgis (1724-1780), wife of Saxon elector Friedrich Christian (1722-1763). Their collection of musical scores was incorporated into the private royal music collection.
Oriental book covers
Several oriental influences found their way to European book covers. Such were the technique of gold plating, dented middle plates, colourful lacquer paintings on covers, the almond-shaped middle piece, on occasion with corresponding corner pieces. Especially the flap on flexible covers is typical; which is designed to repeat the front cover’s ornamentation. Thus the cover’s design is not changed when the flap is closed.