Paris en miniature

This book was ornamented with particularly unique marbled endpapers. Focusing specifically on these endpapers, we can observed loose dotted and speckled spirals, featuring vibrant red, yellow, green, and blue. These colors were most prevalent during the so-called “golden age of French marbling”. These endpapers featured a blend of patterns known as placard or spot pattern, which was creatively combined with the curl pattern. The coloration and curled appearance suggests a style indicative of early 18th century France technique. This curled pattern, which is said to look like a snail, was also called “commun” in French, because it was a frequently- observed design in marbled paper.  Perhaps “common” seems a misnomer when applied to such an ornately decorated book; although this was a popular design in marbled paper itself, such decoration in books was a luxury and would only appear in the librariesof the classiest individuals.