Ex Libris (bookplate)

An Ex Libris from ex-librīs (Latin for 'from the books (or library)'),^[1][2] also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century),^[3] is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership.^[4] Simple typographical bookplates are termed "book labels".^[5]

Bookplates often bear a motif relating to the book's owner, such as a coat-of-arms, crest, badge, motto, or a design commissioned from an artist or designer.^[6][7][8] The name of the owner usually follows an inscription such as "from the books of..." or "from the library of...", or in Latin, "ex libris". Bookplates are important evidence for the provenance of books.

The most traditional technique used to make bookplates is burin engraving. The engraved copper matrix is then printed with an intaglio press on paper, and the resulting print can be pasted into the book to indicate ownership.

In the United States, bookplates replaced book rhymes (which replaced book curses) after the 19th century.^[9]