
Jean Grolier (1479–1565) was one of the world's most brilliant collectors of decorative books. He amassed an all-encompassing private library, one of the largest in the world. His love for beautiful books turned from collection to creation with great success; his decorative designs imitated the world over. One of Grolier's final great commissions forms the basis of the Grolier Ornamentali series, featuring gold-tooled marbled brown leather with an interlaced curving design of single-line fillets and floral tools filling out the six-pointed star.