A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs [Latin, "from the books of..."], is usually a small print or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the inside front cover, to indicate its owner. Simple typographical bookplates are termed "booklabels".
The earliest known marks of ownership of books or documents date from the reign of Amenophis III in Egypt (1391–1353 BCE).
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The Ex Libris of Amenophis III and Teie
The earliest recorded bookplates or ex-libris are small enameled ceramic plaques representing the ownership of pharaoh Amenhotep III
 (Amenophis III) and Queen Tiy (Teie), dating from 1391 to 1353 BCE, probably excavated from Amarna. |
by A. Levitsky
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