An ex libris, or bookplate

Lasting Tradition By Tatsuya Sakamoto

An ex libris, or bookplate, is a small printed label pasted inside the cover of a book that states the owner's name. Many of these labels are works of art in their own right.

The world's oldest bookplate reportedly was made around 1450 in Germany and is called "the hedgehog's bookplate." The label says, "Hans Igler--that a hedgehog may kiss you," and carries a picture of a hedgehog with the owner's name. It is thought to be a warning against stealing the book.

Bookplates appeared the first time in Japan in 1900 after a magazine ran a series about them.

Due to the nation's traditional ukiyo-e art form dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868), many Japanese bookplates have been recognized overseas for their high quality.

Many famous artists, such as Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934), Shiko Munakata (1903-1975) and Masuo Ikeda (1934-1997), created bookplates.

Some people even refer to the designs of bookplates as "paper treasure." In Japan, the labels depict shrines, temples, Buddha images, kabuki performances and other cultural subjects.

To make bookplates, some artists have employed katazome, a method unique to Japan in which blocks carrying a design are printed on Japanese paper that has been hardened with persimmon tannin.

In Europe, designs consisted of coats of arms, but later diversified to depict customs, fashion, scenery, architecture and discoveries. Symbols of death, such as skeletons, were common.

Noboru Yamataka of Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, has designed 300 bookplates, developing some of his ideas on the specifications of his clients. His subject matter, therefore, varies widely--from trains and ships to dolls and flowers.

When Yamataka was asked to create a floral design for the D51 steam train, he searched bookstores to get accurate details.

Utilizing both retro and modern styles, Yamataka has been able to attract a large following.

Most Japanese bookplates are colorful. In Europe, they were colorful due to the influence of ukiyo-e, but black and white designs or others that feature very little color seem to be more common these days.

Yasukazu Niwa, president of the Nippon Exlibris Association, said, "Recently, more artists in this field compete to produce a high-quality artwork (rather than a bookplate for actual use). Some bookplates are even too large to put in books."

Many people collect bookplates not to use as a name tag, but to collect art. Book exchange fairs provide an avenue at which collectors can exchange, buy and sell items.