WHAT IS AN EX LIBRIS STAMP?

Bookplate o bookplate (meaning, literally, "from among the books") is a mark of ownership that usually consists of a stamp (engraving), label, or stamp that is usually placed on the back of a book cover or cover or on its front blank page (for example, on the title page), and containing the name of the owner of the item or the owning library. The owner's name is usually preceded by the Latin expression ex libris (or also, frequently, former library o e-libris), although variants can be found (for example, "I am from..." or similar).

In addition to the legend that accredits the book's belonging to a personal or institutional library, the exlibris generally also displays an image. The oldest examples use heraldic shields; images of allegorical or symbolic content also predominate (many times accompanied by some motto). The typology of the images has been diversifying a lot: there are many, for example, those related to the profession, activity, guild or hobby of the owner of the book, there are also many of erotic content (which usually indicates that the copy belongs to a collection specialized in that theme), a “macabre” theme (with skeletons or skulls alluding to the passage of time and death), monograms, etc. Motives related to the world of books and libraries are also frequent.

Regarding the elaboration of the bookplates, the techniques used have evolved and are very varied: before the invention of the printing press, the bookplates consisted only of a handwritten annotation; Since the fifteenth century, various engraving or stamping techniques have been used related to book arts (xylography, chalcography and others) and later also lithography, serigraphy, photoengraving and others). To these traditional procedures, design and computer printing or photographic reproduction were later added. Rubber or dry stamps are also used, which produce a stamping in relief.

A variant is known as superbooks, in which the written property mark and the image (usually heraldic) appear on the binding of the copy (embossed on the leather binding, embroidered on a cloth binding).