Title-Border with Printer's Mark of Jean de Tournes (Initial H on reverse) 1550

Curator: This is a title-border from an early printed book, specifically featuring the printer's mark of Jean de Tournes. Its crisp lines reveal the detailed work involved in early book production. Editor: The border teems with figures, evoking both classical antiquity and Renaissance extravagance, though the satyrs give it a slightly unsettling feel. Curator: Examining the image as a whole, one cannot help but notice the density of labor involved in its production, from the design to the carving of the woodblock. Editor: The classical figures and mythological creatures that frame the text, however, suggest a deeper symbolic narrative—a commentary on the power and perils of "Histoire de Nostre Temps," or "History of Our Time." Curator: The materials used, likely paper and ink, also speak to the evolving technology of disseminating knowledge, making history accessible beyond elite circles. Editor: Perhaps this elaborate border was designed to elevate the status of the printer, to equate the act of printing with cultural legacy and the enduring power of the written word.