Bodleian Libraries, Essays - Public domain dedication image

Rococo tooling. Scottish (Edinburgh), c. 1776. James Scott. Brown calfskin, with mottled octagonal panel in centre, flanked by gilt pillars and flamboyant rococo ornaments. This is the work of Scotland's greatest 18th century binder of the, James Scott of Edinburgh, whose combination of rococo ornamentation and restrained aesthetic allowed the leather (here decorated with the use of acid, a technique known as 'tree calf') to be as strong a design element as the tooling.