Frontispieces and tail piece: illustrations within rare books
Leafing through an antique book also means exploring a world of images: symbolic engravings, decorative motifs, scenes at the head or end of a chapter.
These elements – frontispieces, headbands, vignettes, tail piece – are much more than ornaments. They have a narrative, aesthetic and sometimes even symbolic function.
At Librairie Clavreuil, we study them carefully: they tell a story within a story.
Frontispiece: the inaugural image
The frontispiece is an illustration facing the title page, often full-page. It visually announces the content or theme of the book. In old books, it is often engraved on copperplate, sometimes accompanied by an allegorical title, a portrait of the author or an emblematic scene. Some frontispieces are works of art in their own right.
Headpiece and vignette: opening the chapter with grace
The headpiece is a horizontal illustration placed at the top of a page. It serves as avisual introduction, often ornamental (garlands, cherubs, trophies, etc.).
The vignette is a small engraving inserted into the corpus of the text. It can illustrate a scene, a quote or a key moment.
These images punctuate the reading and give the book a visual inspiration.
Tail piece : graphic end punctuation
The tail piece (or end finial) is found at the bottom of a chapter or book. This is a small decorative engraving, often symmetrical or floral, which marks an end. Some of the tail pieces are very elaborate and play a symbolic role: they sometimes represent death, closure, or a final wink to the reader.
A demonstration in pictures
🎬 In this video, we show you a fine example of illustration in an antique book, with a copper-engraved frontispiece and ornamental cul-de-lampe.
These often unobtrusive details reveal the care and attention paid to bookmaking in centuries gone by.
A wealth to observe closely
Illustrations in antiquarian books are used to attract the eye, punctuate the reading experience, underline an idea.
They also bear witness to their time: through their style, technique and iconographic references.
At Librairie Clavreuil, we pay particular attention to the quality, condition and provenance of our illustrated books.
📚 Would you like to discover richly illustrated antiquarian books – or ask a question about a particular engraving?
➡️ Explore our illustrated books
📩 For specific advice or research :
➡️ Contact us
