| Now we are going to proceed with some of the remaining spine panel details, As we dig even further into these high resolution photographs we discover that precision measurements are indispensable when it comes to comparing small imprints that may look the same but are not. First I want to tackle the border imprints that occupy the space between the corner imprints. In this case we see a pair of crossed wings, for convenience sake we can call them wings although they could be feathers or palm leaves. Whatever the case these were some of Boyet's favourite tools in this period, However as they are very small and hard to see without magnification, it may turn out, that Boyet had several examples of this particular motif but that will be hard to prove, hopefully, measurement will assist us. In this endeavour I have gone to great lengths to ensure that I have correctly scaled photographs. |
| In Comparative Diagram 1, we see one of the many tests that was necessary to be absolutely certain of the true size of these imprints. in the lower part of this diagram we see a high resolution photograph that has been reduced to an approximately matching size of the 3600dpi scan that is above it. The scan has been overlayed with a transparent copy of the photograph that has also been color inverted to more readily distinguish it from the underlaying scan. On my first attempt, the photographed proved too large, then after a number of incremental changes, we finally see here, a closely matching overlay. This is 1.5 percent smaller than the approximately scaled photo. I should explain why this precision is important. You may have noticed on our home page, a detail from a Boyet dentelle, Here we see another example of Boyet's wings but are they the same? I must first warn you that this kind of comparative research cannot be done unless you have the binding in your hands, and a good camera and scanner. I should point out another thing in Comparative Diagram 1, it is an optical illusion that occasionally bedevils decorative bookbinding researchers. When you look at gold tooled imprints you are actually looking at gold that is not sitting on the surface but is rather sitting in the tough or indentation of the imprint below the surface, more often the eye sees the imprint in a 3 dimensional reversal, you do not see the trough unless you stare at the imprint too long, however in this overlay diagram the color inversion appears as an indentation. and strangely enough this is the true shape of the imprint. |
| Comparative Diagram 2, is then the result of Comparative Diagram 1. Comparative Diagram 3 is another exercise to incrementally reduce a high resolution photo to the same size as a 3600dpi scan. These imprints are found on the relatively flat surface of the boards and thus a scanner will give you a much better result than if you try to scan the curved surface of a spine especailly a spine with raised bands. Still even so, this exercise shows, especially in the enlargement that your average flat bed scanner is not really scanning at 3600 dpi, or even 2400 dpi. A high resolution camera with a macro lens on the other hand can easily produce 4000 dpi results. |
| Finally in Comparative Diagram 4 we are able to show both sets of Boyet's wings at the same scale. The reader will see immediately the problem, these two imprints are so similar in size and form that even at high resolutions it will be hard to spot a distinctive difference between them. However the overlay diagrams appear to show that the left side of the 1695 example is wider than its corresponding counterpart. After making these diagrams and tests I see that it will be rather futile to try to catalogue other examples of these wings without the advantage of having the specimens in my lab, however I am convinced that smaller less complex examples do exist. |
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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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