Ex libris inscription (Ownership inscription)

An inscription that records a book's inclusion in a library, whether private or institutional. Such inscriptions offer valuable evidence of a manuscript's provenance.

An inscription that records a book's inclusion in a library, whether private or institutional. Such inscriptions offer valuable evidence of a manuscript's provenance. Bookplates also carry ex libris information. Libraries often employed distinctive labelling and shelving systems, many of which have been identified, and such storage data also provide evidence of provenance.

  • French:
    Ex-libris
  • Italian:
    Ex libris
  • Spanish:
    Ex-libris

Michelle Brown, Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts (Malibu, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum in association with the British Library, c1994).