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ABSTRACT
The history of Italian laced-case bindings with covers of cartonnage can be traced back to the early sixteenth century, but the so-called legatura alla rustica achieved its definitive form in the seventeenth century, from which time they became one of the most common types of retail binding in the Italian booktrade. This article looks at the development in Italy of this type of binding and the different features that can be found on them from the first decade of the sixteenth century to the end of the eighteenth, and examines the ways in which a very cheaply-made binding was cleverly designed to exploit the unique characteristics of textblocks made from hand-printed sheets of handmade paper and the extraordinary qualities of Italian cartonnage to allow very light-weight and rapidly executed bindings to be remarkably durable. The economy of their manufacture is evidenced through the way paper was used to make the endleaves and the production of the cartonnage covers in format-related sizes to reduce waste. The article ends with four appendices which contain detailed descriptions of 16 representative examples, a fifth appendix which lists different ways in which binders sought to reinforce the structures of these bindings and a final appendix listing the sizes of 25 covers made from whole sheets of cartonnage.
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
Die Geschichte des italienischen Einbandtypes eines Deckenbandes mit durchgezogenen Bünden (laced-case) und Überzug aus Cartonnage kann bis ins frühe 16. Jahrhundert zurückverfolgt werden. Diese sogenannte Legatura alla Rustica erlangte im 17. Jahrhundert ihre endgültige Form und wurde zu einer der handelsüblichsten Sortimentseinbände im italienischen Buchhandel. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der Entwicklung dieser Einbandart in Italien und deren verschiedenen Merkmalen, die sie vom ersten Jahrzehnt des 16. Jahrhunderts bis zum Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts aufweisen. Untersuchungen zeigen, wie die sehr preiswerte und gut durchdachte Bindung, in Kombination mit den einzigartigen Eigenschaften der handgeschöpften, manuell bedruckten Textblöcke und der italienischen Cartonnage eingesetzt wurde, um damit auf effiziente Art Einbände mit sehr geringem Gewicht und bemerkenswerter Langlebigkeit herzustellen. Die Wirtschaftlichkeit ihrer Herstellung zeigt sich in der Art und Weise, wie Papier für die Herstellung der Vorsatzblätter und die Herstellung der Buchdecken aus Cartonnage in formatbezogenen Größen verwendet wurde, um Abfall zu reduzieren. Der Artikel endet mit vier Anhängen, die detaillierte Beschreibungen von 16 repräsentativen Beispielen enthalten, einem fünften Anhang, in dem verschiedene Arten aufgeführt sind, wie Buchbinder die Strukturen dieser Einbände verstärken wollten, und einem abschließenden Anhang, in dem die Formate von 25 Einbänden aus ganzen Kartonbögen aufgelistet sind.
Figure permissions
With thanks to the following collections and owners for permission to publish photographs of books in their collections: Cristiana Balbiano di Aramengo (Fig. 29); Biblioteca Comunale, Foligno (Figs 7, 27, 33); Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni (Figs 2, 8, 14, 15, 18); Biblioteca Comunale, Terni (Fig. 32); Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (Fig. 26); Biblioteca Seminario Teologico, Gorizia (Fig. 19); Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford (Fig. 24); Burghley House Collection (Fig. 28); National Trust Images (Figs. 1, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14); Franciscan Monastery, Sibernik (Fig. 31); Herzog August Bibliothek (Figs. 10, 11, 12, 21, 23, 25, 30); Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt (Figs 3, 20); Sokol Books (Fig. 17); University of London, Senate House Library (Fig. 16); University of Minnesota Libraries (Fig. 22). Unless otherwise stated, all the photographs were taken by the author.
Notes
1 Definitions of the technical terms used in this paper can be found in the Ligatus Language of Bindings thesaurus (Ligatus, Citation2019).
2 The term ‘alla rustica’ was in common use in Italy at least in the later eighteenth century, and can be found on a printed label inside the left cover of volume 14 a copy of Francesco Algarotti, Opere … Edizione Novissima, Venice: presso Carlo Palese, 1794 (author's collection), which states that the ‘Legatura alla Rustica’ (sewn on 2 supports, with a secondary cover of buff-coloured paper, uncut edges and a printed label on the spine, cost 7 soldi as against 5 soldi for each of the 28 printed sheets). In England, Thomas Hartwell Horne used the term alla rustica in 1814 and claimed that such bindings were covered in a “coarse thick paper [that] very soon wears out unless it be used with the greatest care” (Horne, Citation1814; quoted in Cloonan, Citation1991: 26).
3 Michelle Cloonan (Citation1991: 6, 8) describes the later, classic, type of Italian laced-case cartonnage binding, but was apparently not aware of their earlier history, nor of the use of this cover material in other countries.
4 [Pseudo-]Augustinus, and [Pseudo-]Bernardus Claravallensis, Meditationes, etc., Milan: [Johannes Antonius et Beninus de Honate], 1480-2 (Cambridge University Library, Inc.5.B.7.10a); Bartholomaeus Platina, De flosculis linguae latinae, Milan: Antonius Zarotus per Johannes de Legnano, 1481 (Cambridge University Library, Inc.4.B.7.1); Rufus Festus Avianus, Arati phaenomena, Venice: Antonius de Strata, de Cremona, 1488; and Robertus Caracciolus, Sermones quadragesimales de peccatis, Venice: Andreas Torresanus de Asula, 1488 (Princeton University Library, EXI BX1756.C37 55 1488. Bound by 1490, with an inscription on the left pastedown dated that year by brother Georgius Pasqualis of the Franciscan monastery at Vilingen).
5 See Emery (Citation1994: 92). The earliest example I know of was used on a contemporary Italian longstitch binding in a full, cartonnage cover on a copy of Virgil, Buccolica, Brescia, 1543 (E. K. Schreiber Rare Books, New York) with what appears to be the impression of a float-weave screen. Another example, on a copy of Leonis ad Aitzema, Historia Pacis, à Foederatis Belgis ab Anno M D C XXI. ad hoc usque tempus Tractatae, Leiden: Ex Officinâ Joannis & Danielis Elsevier Academiæ Typographum, 1654 (author's collection), uses rather thin cartonnage which was lined on the inside by a piece of paper document waste to reinforce it.
6 The edition shown was: Jacobus Philippus, De claris mulieribus, Ferrara, 1497, and it was included in the sale of books from the Schäfer collection in New York in 1994 (Sotheby’s, Citation1994: item 97).
7 Donatus Bossi, Chronica, Milan: Antonius Zarotus, 1492 (Bodley, Broxbourne Library 97.4)
8 Personal observation, 12-13 May, 2005.
9 Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, Ferrara: Francesco Rosso, 1532. (Biblioteca Capitolare, Verona, R. VIII. 4). See also Fahy (Citation1998).
10 Guy Pape, Tractatus singulares aurei et in praxi contingibiles domini Guidonis Pape, Lyon: Simon Vincent, 1518 (Uppsala University Library, Obr 76.137). The recto of the first left flyleaf has the inscription: Daignes [i.e. d’Aignes or d’Aygnes] et amicorum. The name appears again at the foot of the titlepage.
11 Cartonnage covers are occasionally found attached to stitched bookblocks by means of secondary stitched thongs or thread stitching, though I have never seen examples of this phenomenon made in Italy, where stitched bookblocks are, in any case, relatively unusual. One cartonnage cover attached to a sewn bookblock (a copy of Theophrasti de historia plantarum. lib. ix extracted from: Aristotle, Aristotelis De natura animalium lib. Ix, Venice: In domo Aldi, 1504 (Biblioteca Marciana, Rari v.178 56465)) by means of secondary tackets has been recorded in the Marciana Library in Venice. I am grateful to Claudia Benvestito for bringing this cover to my attention.
12 Publius Papinius Statius, Sylvarum Libri Quinque, Thebaidos Libri Duodecim, Achilleidos Duo … [with:] Orthographia et flexus dictionum Graecarum … , Venice: In Aedibus Aldi, 1502 (Sokol Books, London, recorded 3 May, 2012)
13 A copy of Contes à Rire, ou Récréations Françoises, Lille: Chez C. F. Lehoucq, 1781 (author's collection) has a cover, decorated with dabbed green and yellow ochre pigment and sewn on blue-stained alum-tawed sewing supports, without turn-ins but with joint creases, 10mm from the spine crease on the left side, 15mm on the right.
14 Claude François Xavier Millot, Elementi di Storia Generale Antica e Moderna Opera Scritta nell’idioma Francese, 9 vols., Venice: Presso Gaspare Storti in Merceria, 1777 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, Sala A, S. 37. I. 319).
15 I know of only one example of a laced-case cartonnage binding with turn-ins which might have been made outside Italy. It is on a copy of Cicero, Cato Major: or, the Book of Old Age … Englished by William Austin … With annotations, etc., London: William Leake, 1648 (Lincoln Cathedral Library, Bb. 7. 29), but as an isolated example without any known provenance, it is impossible to be sure that it was bound in England, though the fact that it is an English-printed book in an old-established English library suggests that it might have been.
16 A secondary cover of parchment manuscript waste can be found on the longstitch binding within a cartonnage case on the copy of Ovid, De Arte Amandi referred to in note 4 above.
17 Aristotle, Ioannis Grammatici In primos qvatvor Aristotelis De natvrali avscvltatione libros comentaria, Venice: In aedibus Bartholomaei Zanetti Castergazensis, 1535 (St Catherine, 2586/1870).
18 Giovanni Gasparini, Panegyricæ orationes antiqvis imperatoribvs olim dictæ à C. Plinio Cæc. Ssecundo, Latino Pacato, Mamertino, Nazario, Eumenio, Ausonio, & alijs … Per illustri: atque Ecellentissimo D. D. Ioanni Gasparini, Venice: per Andream Baronium, 1700 (author's collection)
19 The latest example of the use of tanned supports on this type of binding known to me is on a Milanese bookseller's catalogue of the 1850s (seen in the Grolier Club library, but not recorded).
20 Servilio Treo, Lettera di copioso discorso, Trevigi: Angelo Reghettino, 1590 (Herzog August Bibliothek, 32.3 Rhet.) and Abbé de Mably, Osservazioni sopra i romani dell’abate de Mably, Venice: G. Pasquali, 1766 (Taylorian Library, Oxford, Vet. Fr. II. A. 1544 v.2).
21 Giambattista Besnati, Annotazioni sopra le Debolezze del Secolo Decimo Ottavo, Città di Castello: Fedele Toppi, 1789 (Biblioteca Comunale di Terni, no shelfmark) and Compendio della storia ecclesiastica Tomo Primo, Venice: Antonio Rosa, 1796 (Biblioteca Comunale di Terni, no shelfmark).
22 Joannes Baptista Riccioli, Apologia … pro argvmento Physicomethematico contra sytema Copernicarvm, Venice: apud Franciscum Salerni & Ioannem Cagnolini, 1679 (Trinity College, Cambridge, T. 4. 132)
23 Suetonius, Le vite de dodici cesari … Tradotto in uolgar Fiorentino da F. Paolo del Rosso, Cavalier Gerosolimitano, Aggivntovi l’Ordine di leggere gli Scrittori dell’Istoria Romana, del Sig. Pietro Angeli da Barga, E tradotta da M. Francesco Serdonati, Cittadino Fiorentino, Florence: Filippo Giunti, 1611 (HAB, 441.20 Historica)
24 Petrus de Comitibus Romanus, Svmmæ philosphicæ qvinta pars complectens Libros Meteorologicorum, Ethicorum, Paruorum naturalium, & de Temperamento, Ancona: Ex typographia Francisci Seraphini, 1675 (Foligno, C.2.3.17), Gabriel Antonius, Theologia Moralis Universa, Venice: Antonio Zatta, 1772 (Salta, F. VIII. 2.) and Abate Giambattista Noghera. Riflessioni sulla Divozione, e sui Divoti. Opera Postuma, Bassano: Nella Stamperia di Bassano … a spese Remondini, 1786 (author's collection).
25 Fulgentius Cuniliatus, Universæ Theologiæ Moralis, Venice: apud Thomam Betinelli, 1786 (Franciscan Monastery, Salta, F. VII. 10)
26 Joannes de Sacro Bosco, Annotationi sopra la lettione della spera del Sacro Bosco dove si dichiarano tutti e principii Mathematici et Naturali, che in quella si possan’desiderare. Con alcune quistioni notabili a detta spera necessarie … Con … una nuova … traduttione di detta spera. Una spera theologica divina et Christiana. Una spera Platonica, con alcune eccitationi matematiche, etc. Una nuova inventione, et astronomico instrumento per fabricare le dodici cose celesti della figura astronomica … Authore M. Mauro, etc., Florence: Torrentino, 1550 (Wellcome Institute Library, EPB 4164)
27 Franciscus Dynus Licianensis, Decisiones Selectissimæ Quædam ad Causæ opportunitatem alibi impressæ quædam Manuscriptæ ut ad nos peruenerunt, Venice: Sumptibus Dominici Livisæ, 1704 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, Sala A, D 31 III 308)
28 Istoria morale di Gismondo Florio nella quale si discorre di materie de stati, & di diverse attioni de prencipi, tanto antichi, quanto del nostro tempo, et si adducono molte opinioni de filosofi istorici, Trevigi: Evangelista Dehuchino, 1599 (Herzog August Bibliothek, 30.7.1 Poetica) and Giovanni Donato, Novo prato di prologhi di Giovanni Donato Lombardo da Bitonto, Venice: Pietro Usinelli, 1612 (Herzog August Bibliothek, 554.19 Quod.). For the 1611 Suetonius, see note 15.
29 Manuel de Azevedo, Venetae Urbis Descriptio / a Nicandro Jasseo, Venice: Typographia Zattiana, 1780 (Canadian Centre for Architecture, ITB11N1349 ITN1349). The binding is also unusual in having a blue silk ribbon as a bookmark. See also n. 13.
30 Alvise Mocenigo, La Nuova Regia su l’Aque nel Bucentoro, Venice, 1729 (National Trust, Baddesley Clinton). Given the ephemeral nature of this publication, the binding, which is its first and only binding, is likely to be contemporary.
31 Giovanni Francesco Loredano, Degli Scherzi Geniali [Parte Prima and Seconda], Venice: appresso Li Guerigli, 1651 (author's collection). The binding on this edition is unusual in being sewn on one tawed and one tanned support, and having transverse plain paper spine linings.
32 See note 25.
33 Titus Lucretius Carus, Di Tito Lucrezio Caro della natura delle cose libri sei. Tradotti da Alessandro Marchetti … Prima Edizione, Londra: Per Giovanni Pickard, 1717 (National Trust, Blickling Hall 40. f. 27). This book is in a laced-case binding in parchment with boards, sewn on cords, and is altogether untypical. Spanish laced-case bindings in parchment seem more likely to exhibit this phenomenon.
34 PlacidoTiti, Physiomathematica, siue Coelestis philosophia Naturalibus hucusque desideratis ostensa principijs, Milan: ex typ Fr. Vigoni, [1675] (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, C. 13 .III. 59). A similar use of select lacing can be found the copy of Prediche Miscellanee per l’avvento di Nostro Signore con le lodi della Santa Casa di Loreto, La cui Festa occorre nel medemo Auuento Composte da diversi Avttori Et’insieme date in Luce in questa prime Raccolta Per spirituale consolatione de curiosi Deuoti, Perugia: nella Stamperia Episcopale per Lorenzo Ciani, 1673 (Foligno, B. 27. 6. 13), only in this example, the slips of supports 1 and 3 are cut off at the joint.
35 Giacomo Maria Cenni, Della Vita di Gaio Cilnio Mecenate, Cavaliere Romano descritta, ed illvstrata dal Dottor Giacomo Maria Cenni. Libri Dve, Rome: Francisco de’Lazari, 1684 (Book Arts Press, University of Virginia).
36 Makarios Hieromonakos, Logoi Panegyrikoi, Venice: Nikolaos Glikis, 1747 and Agachios Manachos, Biblion kaloumenon, Venice: Nikolaos Glikis, 1751 (Town Library, Zagora, Magnesia, Greece). The influence of Italian practice on Greek bookbinding in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is easily found, especially where relatively inexpensive, limp structures are concerned, on bindings on both printed and archival texts.
37 Several bindings in French laced-case cartonnage bindings with secondary covers of red paper on textblocks with uncut edges acquired by Bishop Cosin in France in the 1650s and now in Durham University Library have endbands, but they are in this respect very unusual.
38 Giacomo Maria Cenni, Della Vita di Gaio Cilnio Mecenate, Cavaliere Romano descritta, ed illvstrata dal Dottor Giacomo Maria Cenni. Libri Dve, Rome: France sco de’Lazari , 1684 (Book Arts Press, University of Virginia)
39 The copy of Giovanni Gasparini, Panegyricæ (see note 16) has an inscription on the left flyleaf giving the name and date Antonij Camozzi. / 1714 and, in the same hand, on the right flyleaf: Costa — Zi 25. The price, of course, is for the bound book, not for the binding alone, and can therefore only be understood if the price of the printed sheets is also known.
40 A printed ticket inside the left side of the cover on a copy of Francesco Algarotti, Opere del Conte Algarotti Edizione Novissima Tom. XIV, Venice: presso Carlo Palese, 1794, records the cost of the 28 printed sheets at 5 soldi a sheet (total 7 lire), and the ‘legatura alla rustica’ (with a secondary cover of polished yellow-ochre paper and a printed label) at only 7 soldi (author's collection).
41 The use of the term all’olandese is interesting as it clearly here describes Italian laced-case bindings in parchment with boards, which appear to have developed quite independently of the Dutch examples, yet have been given the same name. It is a testament to the ubiquity of the Dutch examples throughout western Europe.
42 Michaelis Mediolensis, Sermonarium de penitentia per adventus & quadragesimam, Venice: Georgius de Arrivabenis, 1486 [Foligno, A. VI. 1. 6].
43 Andreo Alciato, Ad rescripta principium commentarii, Lyon: Sebastianus Gryphius, 1532 [Harvard Law Library, T.A352a532], which is in an Italian tacketed binding (see Pickwoad, 2000: 123) and Pandolfo Collenucio, Compendio delle historie del regno di Napoli composto da messer Pandolfo Collenucio iurisconsulto in Pesaro, Venice: M. Trammezino, 1541 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, 700, A. R. 3. V. 332), which has survived as a sewn bookblock without a cover.
44 Joannes de Sacro Bosco, Annotationi sopra la lettione della spera del Sacro Bosco dove si dichiarano tutti e principii Mathematici et Naturali, che in quella si possan’desiderare. Con alcune quistioni notabili a detta spera necessarie … Con … una nuova … traduttione di detta spera. Una spera theologica divina et Christiana. Una spera Platonica, con alcune eccitationi matematiche, etc. Una nuova inventione, et astronomico instrumento per fabricare le dodici cose celesti della figura astronomica … Authore M. Mauro, etc. Florence: Torrentino, 1550 (Wellcome Institute Library, EPB 4164).
45 Eustachio A. S. Ubaldo, De Præcipvis ivris et ivstitiæ partibvs restitvtione scilicet, & contractibvs Vniversales Tractatus etc., Milan: Ex Typographia Francisci Vigoni, 1681 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, D. 31. III. 305).
46 Fulgentius Cuniliatus, Universæ Theologiæ Moralis, Venice: apud Thomam Bettinelli, 1786 (Salta, F. VII. 10.).
47 Paolo Frisio, Dissertationum variarum Tomus Primus, Lucca: Apud Vincentium Junctinium, 1759 (author’s collection). This copy belonged to Were’s Circulating Library in Margate at the end of the eighteenth century and subsequently to Bettison’s Circulating Library, also in Margate.
48 Benedetto Coluccio, Benedicti Colvccii Pistorensis de Discordis Florentinorvm Liber nvnc primvm ex MS Cod. in lvcem ervtvs a Lavrentio Mehvs Etrvscae Academia Cortonensis Socio, Florence: Apud Joannem Paullum Giovanelli, 1747 (author’s collection).
49 Disamina degli scrittori, e dei monumenti risguardanti S. Rufino Vescovo, e martire di Asisi, Assisi: nell typographia Sgarigliano, 1797 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, Sala A, Se. 32. II. 99).
50 Antonius Celladeus, De Recta Doctrina Morvm. Prima pars diuisa in quatuor Libros, Lyon: Sumpt. Petri Chevalier, 1670 (Biblioteca Ecclesiastica, Narni, B. Tm. III. 54).
51 Petrus de Comitibus Romanus, Svmmæ philosphicæ qvinta pars complectens Libros Meteorologicorum, Ethicorum, Paruorum naturalium, & de Temperamento, Ancona: Ex typographia Francisci Seraphini, 1675 (Foligno, C. 2. 3. 17).
52 Ioannes Baptista Riccioli, Apologia … pro argvmento Physicomathematico contra systema Copernicanvm, Venice: Apud Franciscum Salerni & Ioannem Cagnolini, 1679 (Trinity College, Cambridge, T. 4. 132).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Nicholas Pickwoad
Professor Nicholas Pickwoad trained in bookbinding and book conservation with Roger Powell, and ran his own workshop from 1977 to 1989, and has been Adviser on book conservation to the National Trust since 1978. He was Chief Conservator in the Harvard University Library from 1992 to 1995 and remains project leader of the St Catherine's Monastery Library Project, based at the University of the Arts London, where, until 2019, he was director of the Ligatus Research Centre, which is dedicated to the history of bookbinding. He also teaches courses in the UK, Europe and America on the history of European bookbinding in the era of the hand printing press, and has published widely on the subject. He also supervises PhD research into the history of bookbinding.