Signed bindings & fine bindings

A signed binding bears the name of its workshop, stamped at the foot of the spine, on a flyleaf, or on a leaf added by the binder - just as a painter would sign his canvas. The signature carries weight: it attests to the hand, the quality of the materials, the care of execution. From the great royal binders, through the workshops of the 19th century, to contemporary creators, the signed binding is a work of art in its own right, adding a second work to the book it clothes.

This selection brings together the signed bindings in our stock: Chambolle-Duru, René Kieffer, Creuzevault, Marius Michel, Lortic, Jean de Gonet among others - as well as remarkable art bindings. Each listing describes the binding in detail: material, decoration, signature; the workshop's name is clickable and leads to its page, where all its bindings that have passed through the bookshop can be found.

Jansenist morocco, marbled calf, mosaic decoration or box-calf creations by modern workshops: the filters allow browsing by material, by century or by price - or cross-referencing with first editions and authors' inscriptions.