Fore-edge and Spine of the Binding

A photograph shows the top edge and spine of the closed volume. The binding is made of light colored parchment or vellum. The spine features visible raised bands, which are the horizontal ridges where the sewing supports are located. The edges of the pages are visible. They show a "sprinkled" decorative treatment consisting of small red and orange spots. At the bottom of the image, a modern black bar provides copyright and institutional source information.

Technical Terms

• Binding: The protective cover of a book that holds the pages together.
• Vellum: A durable material made from prepared animal skin, often used for high quality historical book covers.
• Sprinkled edges: A decorative finish created by splattering ink or pigment onto the edges of the pages. This was common in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• ProQuest: A global information and technology company that creates digital archives of historical documents.
• Koninklijke Bibliotheek: The National Library of the Netherlands, which houses this specific 1599 edition.