| On the previous page we were exploring Bisiaux bindings with a candelabra corner, and I just discovered another, you can find it on a Camille Sourget web page (see this) where you will find nice enlarged photos of this binding. This binding was perhaps made and decorated sometime around 1773 which then casts some doubt on my whole hypothesis that these bindings were made by Bisiaux (on the basis of a single signed binding). This is further complicated by the fact that the arms on this binding are those of Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine 12 December 1712 in Lunéville 4 July 1780 in Tervuren[1]), he was a Lorraine-born Austrian general and soldier, field marshal of the Imperial Army, and governor of the Austrian Netherlands. This is an important historical figure of no small standing, even if we were postulate that this was an early binding by Bisiaux, such a prestigious client would seem unlikely for a debutant bookbinder. Be that as it may we shall continue to imagine that Bisiaux may have had a hand in this. One thing is certain and that is these bindings that we have been looking at in the past few pages have all been decorated with some common tools that probably derive from a single workshop. |
| In Comparative Diagram 1, I have managed to capture from the Sourget video about this binding, a screen shot of the inner dentelle that was clear enough to get a reasonable picture of it. As well as good approximate measure of the length that is about 96 mm. Barber did not record this exact model although he shows some very similar examples of this popular roulette. I show here his ROLL 59. In his description he mentions W.Cat.486 that he has dated to sometime after 1750 due to a watermark and attributes this roulette to Louis Douceur. We can see that this 1773 example is smaller and not exactly the same, however certainly a copy of this Type. Barber further gives a reference to Tessier roll 25, this is not in his catalogue. |
| In Comparative Diagram 2, we get a better view of the imprint that we explored on the last page d-6-2. here we see 4 examples extracted from this 1773 binding. Although these imprints have all derived from the same tool, the differences shown in each makes it difficult to decide on which to choose as a representative of the type. Barber faced this problem with every model in his catalogue, and naturally some are flawed. I have catalogued this model as d-6-2 signifying it to be originally a Louis Douceur tool however even if it is Louis Douceur was not using it in 1773, nor perhaps Bisiaux. The good thing about this imprint and the tool that made it is that it lacks symmetry, especially in the trident like center where we see an additional detail on the left, that is not seen on the right. |
| In Comparative Diagram 3, these asymmetrical details are pointed out with the green arrows pointing to the left side anomaly and the blue arrows pointing to the stunted nature of the right shoulder as opposed to the robust left side. These details should be easy to spot even with the naked eye and a great aid in identifying these bindings where we find already three examples of this same tool in the same location. (note: I have, in the past, incorrectly catalogued another imprint as d-6-2 when it should have been a Type 7) |
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| Even experts are sometimes wrong, before you spend thousands on a book, please do your own research! Just because I say a certain binding can be attributed to le Maitre isn't any kind of guarantee, don't take my word for it, go a step further and get your own proof. In these pages I have provided you with a way of doing just that. |
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