Ross MacDonald, illustrator, letterpressman and maker of olde books and things for movies has this to say about a book he did for the Zorro movie:

This huge book was created for the film. Printed on vellum paper, hand bound in fifteenth century style. The covers are covered with leather which was hand dyed in a multistage process, and then handmade metal clasps and corners were attached. A design was burned into the leather with a hot iron bar.