Head-pieces

Ornamental designs used at the heads or commencements of chapters. The early productions of the press were embellished with beautifully-executed drawings in various colours, done by hand, and displaying the highest skill of the illuminators. Gradually, as books were produced more cheaply, wood engravings were used; then metal ornaments were produced, and subsequently flowers or borders. The latter were superseded hy simple brass rules, and some years ago even these were dispensed with, and head-pieces were seldom or never seen. The recent revival of old-style printing has brought with it. not only the old faces of typo hut the old ornamental head-pieces, and many of the newest and most tasteful works me now ornamented with fac-similes of head-pieces that were in fashion two centuries ago.