Las encuadernaciones mudéjares de lacerías, tipo «toledano» y «salmantino», en la catedral de toledo

Abstract

In the history of Spanish bookbinding the Mudéjar style of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries stands out, particularly in works produced in cities like Toledo. The Capitular Library of the Cathedral of Toledo contains one of the most important collections in Spain in both size and quality, although many volumes are not in the best state of preservation. The present work will study and analyze the different kinds of Mudéjar bookbindings with interlaces, a style of decoration typical of cities like Toledo, Salamanca and Barcelona. We have studied the decorative structures and their artistic elements, the techniques of decoration and construction, and the materials employed; through them we have established the origin or provenance of each bookbinding based on its decorative structure, its individual decorative motifs, the watermarks of its original flyleaves, and the style of its cabezada.