This artwork kind includes adorning the perimeters of a guide’s pages in such a method that the picture is invisible when the guide is closed. The ornament, typically a panorama or different scene, is revealed solely when the pages are fanned. A specialised approach and regular hand are required to use paint or gilt to the skinny, typically gilded, edges. This hidden artistry transforms a seemingly atypical guide right into a secret treasure, including a component of shock and delight.
Traditionally, this distinctive ornamental apply served as a discreet technique to personalize and improve prized volumes, including a component of exclusivity and aesthetic worth. The earliest examples date again to the Seventeenth century, with the apply reaching its peak within the 18th and nineteenth centuries. The hid nature of those work protected them from put on and tear, making certain their longevity and preserving a fragile artwork kind for generations. As a historic artifact, these embellished books present insights into the creative tendencies and tastes of previous eras.
