supralibros

II with an inventory of supralibros.

Up to that time, the more luxurious habit of blind- or gold-stamping the book's binding with a personal device had been more widespread: the supralibros.

Other than the bookplate or ex-libris, which is stamped or pasted inside a book, the supralibros is applied to the book's cover.

Famous bibliophiles used much sought-after supralibros that may make a book worth much money, for instance Jean Grolier, an archetypical collector.

Just like the ex-libris the supralibros is an expression of pride of the owner of the book; apart from being an owner's mark it is often also an adornment.

After the 18th century the supralibros went into decline, although full leather school prize bindings with a supralibros continued to be used well into the 20th century.

Blackwell's, a large booksellers in Oxford, will bind books and apply the supralibros of the buyer's college for a fee, usually for books bought as a reward for high performance in examinations.

Supralibros (plural is also 'supralibros') usually are gilt or blocked on the upper cover of a book, sometimes on the lower cover, too, and also the book's spine may have a small supralibros.