Front Cover

The illustration shows the front cover of a historical book bound in vellum or parchment. The binding features decorations created with blind-stamped patterns. A double-lined rectangular border frames the cover with small floral ornaments at each corner. A prominent central mandorla, which is a diamond-shaped lozenge, contains detailed leaf-like scrollwork. On the right side of the cover, a vertical handwritten inscription is visible in dark ink.

Savi 8 This handwritten mark is a shelfmark, likely used by a library or collector to identify the book's location on a shelf.

Key Technical Terms

• Vellum binding: A cover made from high-quality animal skin, typically calfskin, prepared for writing or binding.
• Blind-stamped: A decorative technique where patterns are pressed into the cover material without using gold leaf or ink.
• Lozenge: A diamond-shaped decorative element.
• Mandorla: An almond-shaped or diamond-shaped enclosure for an ornament or figure.
• Shelfmark: A unique code or number assigned to a book to show its place in a library.