Book cover with circular designs and ornamental diagonal pattern 1800 - 1900

This is a book cover with circular designs and ornamental diagonal patterns, made anonymously and undated, from paper. The design consists of circles rendered in blue and pink on a gray ground, with a diagonal lattice connecting them. What I find compelling is that this design feels equally handmade and industrially produced. The texture has a certain roughness, as though created through marbling, but the repeating pattern suggests a mechanized printing process. This combination is fascinating because it invites us to consider the social context of book production. Perhaps this cover was made at a transitional moment, when some elements were still created by hand, while others were delegated to machines. The labor and skill required to produce such a design reflects a convergence of craft traditions and emerging industrial processes, blurring the boundaries between them. Paying attention to materials, making, and context allows a fuller understanding of its meaning, challenging distinctions between fine art and craft.