Few European countries show such a linear evolution of heraldic and decorative styles as Britain. This is perhaps due to its geography as an island, and consequently to a slower penetration of outside influences, as well as to British artists’ quite wilful tendency to ‘do their own thing’. There is, however, an obvious link between British rococo and French ‘rocaille’, as well as other stylistic patterns. One factor which must not be neglected is the influence of travel on taste – not only the travels of artists, who often did a ‘grand tour’ or at least a trip to Italy, but those of potential customers for bookplates. Another factor is that eighteenth century bookplates – in the main – were the work of craftsmen who had workshops where anyone with a library could order a bookplate, rather than that of artists who occasionally did an ex-libris for a special customer or a friend. Such workshops had to be fashionable to attract customers, and were much influenced by the general trends set in decorative arts by the ‘lions’ such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Nash, etc. The pieces shown here are sim-ply exceptionally fine and elaborate examples of such ex-libris. If some collectors in Europe tend to look down on British bookplates, it is because they most often come accross monotonous nineteenth century spade shields. The ex-libris shown here are of comparable beauty and quality to any produced in eighteenth century Europe.