Ex libris book showcase
DEG Jahrbuch 2006
by G.N.
During the DEG Congress 2006, held in Zwickau from 28 to 30 April, members (who regularly paid the yearly subscription fee) received the last number of the traditional year book.
There are several original bookplates, glued on
the book:
1 by Anton Kaiser (C3, ca 1910),
on the frontispice;
1 by Wojciech Jakubowski, Poland, p. 69 (signed)
11 of Helmer Fogedgaard, made by several artists, from p. 72
1 by Ottmar Premstaller, of Christoph Zeckai, p. 73 (signed)
DEG Jahrbuch 2006, front cover
Contents:
Introduction, by Heinz Decker
The essays in this yearbook deal with the concepts of closeness
and distance as motifs on bookplates. Roots are important to people.
Being close to one’s home provides a feeling of belonging
and safety and guarantees identity. Things unknown and distant may
be frightening as well as fascinating, can lead to strategies to
ward off potential dangers, but also create the desire to explore
the unknown territories.
Folk motifs in bookplates, by Elke Schutt-Kehm
Defining the concept of home and people’s attachment to their
roots, the author shows from a number of examples that in bookplates
frequently rural activities and symbols reveal the closeness to
one’s native surroundings.
Closeness to home – Horse’s heads as decoration
for gables, by Anne Büsing
In Northern Germany crossed horses’ heads as gable decoration
are characteristic landmarks for the landscape. Using them on bookplates
indicates the owner’s feeling of belonging to that landscape.
The Nuremberg Castle on bookplates, by Heinz-Joachim Krause
The author follows the traces of people who use the silhouette of
the ancient Nuremberg Castle on their bookplates and shows their
close relatedness to their hometown.
Bookplates from the province – How Bad Salzuflen
bibliophiles decorated their books, by Stefan Wiesekopsieker
Here, too, the common link of the owners of the bookplates presented
is the hometown they share.
Heinrich Hagemeister – An artist of his native north
German Landscape, by Horst Sparke
The black and white woodcuts this north German artist cut during
his brief life confirm his belonging to the Worpswede school of
art.
Wojciech Jakubowski, by Klaus Rödel
Helmer Fogedgaard, by Klaus Rödel
In his two short articles the author concentrates on closeness in
the relationship of people and the result this has for the exlibris
culture.
The first article is dedicated to the impact the long and close
relationship between an outstanding artist and an outstanding collector
had in the world of exlibris.
The second proves the significance the eminent Danish collector
Helmer Fogedgaard had on the development of the colour woodcut in
post-war bookplates by transgressing the borders of the “Iron
Curtain” and encouraging and supporting particularly eastern
European artists.
Trust – Guy de Larigaudie, by Christoph Zeckai
The author describes the meaning of a bookplate based on a quote
by Guy de Larigaudie, whose life was marked by his closeness to
God and the feeling of trust resulting from him.
DEG Jahrbuch 2006, back cover
Warding off disaster – Apotropean motifs on bookplates,
by Klaus Thoms
Since ancient times people have felt threatened by distant magic
powers and have developed strategies to ward off possible disasters
caused by them.
The author traces symbols and customs dealing with such archaic
fears and finds many of them depicted on bookplates.
From near to far distances – means of transportation
on exlibris and applied graphics, by Birgit Göbel-Stiegler
For ages man has been on the move and has invented and developed
many means to help him overcome distances.
Throughout the last 100 years man’s inventions to help him
reach distant places (cars, bicycles, ships, planes, balloons),
but also animals and the inventions of his imagination like flying
carpets of cannon balls have been represented on bookplates.
The article gives a comprehensive outline with numerous examples
of this vast field.
Et ignotas animum dimittit in artes – Home and exile,
by Heinz Decker
The article concentrates on representations of the myth of Daedalus
and Icarus on exlibris: Daedalus, the artificer, longing for his
native island, invents wings to escape from the labyrinth he built
for Minos. On the flight he must see his son Icarus drown who reached
for the distant sun. The exlibris selected emphasise different aspects
of the myth.
DEG Jahrbuch 2006
Copyright © 2006 Deutsche Exlibris-Gesellschaft e.V., Frankfurt
am Main
In 4°
148 p., ill.
Book printed in 500 numbered copies
ISBN 3-925300-36-8
More info:
DEG
(Disclosure: Artifex bought a copy of the book reviewed)
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