Rare Books & Special Collections Department, National Library of China, Beijing, China 中國國家圖書館古籍館善本特藏部（北京） felizfleur@126.com
Abstract
Fore-edge Painting is a type of book decoration. Germinating in the 10th century in Europe, it revived and prospered during the second half of the 18th century, when a number of books with fore-edge paintings emerged. This technology spread
to the other side of the Atlantic and flourished in the United States in the next century. In the 20th century, fore-edge painting also was disseminated into China. Fore-edge painting still exists today, which shows the charm of this
kind of book decoration. Fore-edge painting is not only a technique, but also an art. The existing books with fore-edge paintings reflect people’s pursuit of beauty, their love for books through the centuries, which has written a brilliant
page in the history of the book.
