| Some might argue that the history of decoration started millions of years ago when a primitive Eve tucked a flower behind her ear. Others claim however that decoration is an integral part of a creative Superconsciousness that permeates time and space. On this page we are going to look at some decorative history, the tools of Padeloup le jeune. |
| The palette shown above is, I think, a sort of Padeloup trademark. He developed this form of decoration for the bottom of his spines and then continued to use it for many years, it can be seen in a number of variations of the same idea. It would be wonderful to imagine that he has created this decoration from individually placed small tools, yet it seems too perfect to have been done this way. This is part of the Padeloup mystique, it would take almost a super human talent to do this kind of precision detail. |
| An analysis of the decoration of the spine compartments could possibly reveal the chronology of this binding, here we see a spectacle of some of Padeloups classic tools that he used on his first bindings. The imprint pj-4-2 shown below is probably actually the imprint pj-4 which I documented years ago as having a small dot below the bottom ring. |
| I recomend the enlargement of the image shown above, it is very rare that we can see imprints enlarged to this degree without a loss of detail, and the fact that the individual imprints are repeated allows us to observe particular characteristics or flaws in each. As we glance over this small section of dentelle, we marvel at the distribution of these imprints, it is never exactly the same, and thus never boring, we can stare at it for hours and always find something new and unexpected. Here is the work of an artist, to know where to put things, to fill the space in a regular and yet magically irregular way, each dot becomes and artisic decision or a whim of fancy. |
| A careful comparison of the front and back inner dentelle reveals some differences, for example, some of the large dots placed between the flames and the pods appear to be missing from the back board. I suspect that when the imprints are too tightly overlapped it becomes difficult to insert these dots, without it starting to look a bit cluttered. Also we notice that the imprint pj-13b-3 has been used on the front board while the opposite matching imprint of the pair pj-13a-3 has been used for the back board. |
| I would love to be able to show you a clear imprint type model of the imprint candelabra shown above. This fleuron embodies centuries of decorative design, it seemed so familiar when I first saw it, and just now I have remembered why, Boyet had a similar tool. I show it in Comparative Diagram 1, the Padeloup tool is definitely more refined and elegant in its simplicity. This dentelle has something gothic about it, we can call it the candelabra dentelle. It is composed of just these few elements, the stars pj-25, the dots pj-26, the flames pj-22, and the candelabra pj-99. |
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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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