Peculiar Choice of Spider-Web Endpapers in an Antique Book

The book is another find at the book market in the Hague. The Life of Willem III (Het Leven van Willem III) by Frans Bührmann was published in Amsterdam in 1874. But I’m not sure whether the endpapers come from the same time.

The pattern and the surprising choice of the endpapers for this book both surprise me. I can’t say I know anything about the life and accomplishments of William III of the Netherlands. But in any case, it all attracted my attention.

Can anyone make an educated guess? Why it was used and when it could have been done?

The easiest answer seems to be that this was the paper that the bookbinder had on hand. End of story. Not the best sample of bookbinder’s work, by the way.

Still, I like the pattern.

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