A 16th century title page with a publisher’s device of a salamander

A decorative title page from a French edition of the 'Institutes', part of an extensive codification of Roman law compiled on the orders of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. First published in 533, the 'Institutes' was intended as a textbook for law students and became the standard work for centuries. This titlepage comes one of six volumes of the 'Corpus Juris Civilis' published by Jean, Claude and Jacques de Senneton, 1549-50. It features the letterpress title within a woodcut border with figures including God, Moses, Solon, Draco of Athens (origin of 'draconian') and Ceres. The most striking feature is the fire-breathing salamander, tail curled around its back leg, immersed in red-printed flames. This was the emblem of the de Senneton publishing house, 'at the Sign of the Salamander'.