The later bindings made for Grolier are curiously inferior, and sometimes in calf. The earlier and finer bindings are in morocco, which is sometimes marbled. The words “Grolierii et Amicorum” are always put upon such bindings as were made for him, and the legend “Portio mea domine sit in terra viventium” also generally appears in the centre of one or other of the boards.
Fig. 103.—Italian gold tooled binding made for Jean Grolier, 1532.
Whenever Grolier acquired a book which was already very finely bound he added his autograph either on the flyleaf at the beginning or at the end. Grolier was the first collector to have his books bound in a particular way for himself.
“Grolier” bindings have been very freely imitated, especially by a native of Bologna, who worked a good deal for Count Guglielmo Libri, a great collector, and unfortunately the style lends itself well to imitation. A fraudulent finisher looks out for an old Italian book of the right date, bound in plain leather. Then he copies parts from one or other of the many Groliers which can be seen and studied by any Londoner or Parisian for the asking, and if he is fairly clever at his trade it will take a very skilled expert to detect the fraud. Many such imitations are about, and every day they become more like genuine examples.
Fig. 104.—English gold tooled binding by Thos. Berthelet. Made for Henry VIII.
The styles of binding that have been most largely and successfully imitated are those made for Jean Grolier, Henri II. and of his period, and the so-called “Canevari” bindings.