The tradition of fore-edge painting, or edge painting, describes all the activities related to embellishing the paper edges of a book. Dating back to tenth-century England, the practice reached the peak of its popularity in the second half of the seventeenth century but continued throughout the eighteenth century. At the time, the art of aging book edges was done by specialists, as the ornamentation was seen as a central part of the book’s appearance. A painted-edge book stood out. It made each book unique, and artists could push each one’s brilliance as far as they desired.
No longer confined to books found in antique shops, today’s decorative collectors’ editions come straight from the publisher, with marbling or patterned fore-edges that often mimic the look of the book’s cover. Some are spray-painted in a single block of color, while others use the type of stencil designs included in this kit, such as:
- roses
- dragons and castle
- sword
- mountains
- sun, moon, and stars
- crystals
- feather
- snake
- whisk
- letters
Now you, too, can create your very own collectors’ editions of your favorite books with Stenciled Book Edges Kit. Inside, you will find:
- 2 plastic clamps
- 1 sponge dabber
- 1 foam brush
- 4 acrylic paints
- 6 vinyl adhesive stencils with 10 designs
- 32-page full-color instruction book
So why add this touch of antiquarian finery to your bookshelf? There’s something about reading a decorated-edge edition that just feels special—both elegant and clandestine at the same time. With the splash of color and images along the outer edge of the book, you’ve not only made the book more aesthetically pleasing, but you can add meaningful detail and secret symbolism from within the book. With these creative additions, every inch of your book is a canvas for your imagination and creativity.
These stencils will add beauty to your private collection of books, and they make an excellent gift.
