The binding shown above is from the 1936 Rahir catalogue, Vol. IV, item 1140. In the description of this item, we discover that this is a binding signed by Jubert, that it bears arms of Marie-Antoinette, and that it was reproduced in color in Gruel's Manuel de Amateur de reliures. I. p.114. When I first saw this binding I was surprised to see a signature so placed. I still have not seen any other previous binder sign his work in this manner. After researching intensely binders and their tools from this period I have come to realize what a huge treasure this binding is.
I studied the imprints of this binding closely some time ago, and noticed tools that I thought were identical to some of Derome's tools, in fact for a while I thought Jubert must have been one of the many binders in Derome's employment, and that perhaps there was an overlap of tools. Only now after my recent intense review of the Dubuisson Derome tools, did I begun to reconsider Jubert place in this history. What if Juberts tools were not mixed with Deromes? When I started to compare closely the Jubert and Derome tools, I suddenly came upon another major discovery and breakthrough that will enable us rectify the attribution errors of the past that are still being perpetuated today.
I went back to read again Thoinan's short biography of Jubert, to see if I could find out something more about Jubert. Thoinan states that Jean-Pierre Jubert became an accredited binder (or doreur) in 1771, this is about 10 years after Derome le jeune began his career. Thoinan goes on to mention the fact that Gruel reproduced a binding signed by Jubert. Thus the binding reproduced above is the one to which Thoinan is referring, We are lucky indeed to have this high quality reproduction from the Rahir Catalogue, from it we can extract and catalogue some of Jubert's most important tools. However before we look at these imprints, I must now point out what appears to be a huge mistake made by Dacier, and probably many others before and since, in the attribution of Jubert's work to Derome le jeune. Such a mistake would seem so big as to be impossible. However the imprints speak for themselves.
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