|
The reproduction of the image found above can be found in an ALDE auction catalogue Collection Michel Wittock - Septième partie - Reliures italiennes et françaises d'hier et d'aujourd'hui. MARDI 14 NOVEMBRE 2017 à 14H00 Paris. (click here to see it). When I first saw this binding and then read the auction information about it, I said to myself "no way! this has to be a mistake?" Bisiaux made this??? Yes it is a signed binding by Bisiaux with his ticket inside. A state of shock ensues, in the dozen or more Bisiaux examples that I can think of, none have been made with this kind of dentelle or tools. Bisiaux started his career as a professional bookbinder in 1777, this binding was prehaps executed around 1780, most of the typical Pierre-Joseph Bisiaux bindings that we see with his ticket are from 1790 and later (click here to see an example in the British Library Database of Bookbindings). I suppose it may be possible that he changed completely his style and his tools in the 10 years between. Bisiaux is known best for copying the work of Bradel to a point where few can tell the difference, perhaps Bradel was not the only binder that he copied. The first problem on our plate from the previous page is that we assumed that the decoration of 1780 binding shown on that page exhibited Fetil tools and Vente tools as well as Douceur tools, now we are confronted with Bisiaux bindings that also exhibits similar tools specifically the Vente/Barber FR 39 pair. |
| In Comparative Diagram 1, we can see, even though the imprints are overlain with other imprints, that the tops of this FR 39 pair match, the tops are mutually asymmetric and that leads me to suspect that these imprints match Barber's models |
| In Comparative Diagram 2, we forced to admit the posibility that these bindings are linked to Barber's W.Cats 233 and 239. These imprints and Barber's model are so similar that it will be hard to decide if one is only a copy and not a match. |
| In Comparative Diagram 3, we see that there is a very good chance that Barber's palette model PAL 44 is related to these bindings and they were all made by Bisiaux? We need to examine a few more examples and certainly W.Cat. 239, which as you can see by the diagram below will probably be another dentelle much like that of the 1780 binding that we examined on the previous page. We have not yet found a binding with this exact pair of imprints (FR 28), however as all these imprints appear to be linked by binding W.Cat. 239 how can we imagine that it is not a binding by Pierre-Joseph Bisiaux? |
|
click here to return to the HOME page. click here to see an INDEX of the 2017 pages. see below links to previous work |
| 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. |
| Virtual Bookings, created by L. A. Miller | return to the Home page of VIRTUAL BOOKBINDINGS |