Ex-libris (bookplate) - Order of Saint Paul's monastry in Pest

Codices were attached to the shelves with chains during the Middle Ages this is how the expensive, hand-written volumes were protected from the unauthorized. To mark the property, the ex libris were used from the 16th century, almost as soon as printed books appeared (the word is Latin, meaning ‘from the library of’ in English). Ex libris is a reproduced graphical sheet, containing the name, coat of arms, symbol and motto of the book’s owner, glued to the inside of the binding or the cover. The so-called “supra libros” can be thought of as its predecessor – it was placed on the book’s cover. The Corvinas of King Matthias were like that, wearing the coat of arms with the raven. The 18th century ex libris usually featured family coat of arms and symbols of organizations just like the coat of arms of the Paulaner order, the only order of Hungarian origin, with angels holding a shield. The raven in the central field of the shield split to four recalls the mascot of Matthias here the raven holds a piece of bread in its beak.