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Inside the original 1910 version of this sumptuous binding laid one of the oldest and most effortlessly romantic stories ever written. The gilt and crushed blue levant morocco binding by Émile-Philippe Mercier contained Jacques Amyot’s French translation of the tale Daphnis and Chloe. The original story was composed by the second-century Greek author Longus, a little-known writer assumed to have been a freedman of a Roman family. Daphnis and Chloe were the fictional lovers against whom all others can be measured. Their story was the inspiration for one of contemporary cinema’s most beloved films, The Princess Bride. Daphnis and Chloe were naïve lovers separated by pirate abductions and battles aplenty. But love prevails and in the end they are restored to pastoral, wedded bliss.  

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Displaying astounding plays of naturalistic illusionism, the luxurious book known as the Spinola Hours is one of the most visually sophisticated 16th-century Flemish manuscripts. A book of hours contains a calendar of Church holidays, the Hours of the Virgin, the Office for the Dead, and other prayers, hymns and readings. The Spinola Hours also includes weekday offices and masses, providing even more possibilities for rich illuminations. The book was commissioned for a wealthy patron, perhaps Margaret of Austria, and in the 1700s it belonged to the Spinola family, for whom it is now named. We are honoured to reproduce this unparalleled example of illumination from the J. Paul Getty Museum.

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Laurel Burch was a self-taught artist who created brilliantly coloured, vibrant and moving themes with paint and paper, exquisitely embellished with gold and silver. A tribute to the infinite bliss of flowers, this Wild Flowers design symbolizes the blossoming of the spirit as much as the beauty of a lovely garden. With this motif, Laurel’s hope was to speak in the universal language of symbols that touch us all, and her flowers certainly have the ultimate ability to do just that. With a bursting of brilliant wildflower blooms, Laurel’s florals are a never-ending source of happy inspiration and joy.  

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This stately gold-tooled design comes from a unique 1990s binding crafted by book conservator Scott Husby, who pulled together fragments from the early 1800s to create a beautiful new cover for this copy of Shakespeare's First Folio. Originally published in 1623 in London and containing 36 of Shakespeare's plays, Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (known as the First Folio) is one of the most influential books ever published. It is the only reliable text for nearly 20 of Shakespeare's plays, 18 of which had previously never been printed, including The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Today, there are only 235 surviving copies, from approximately 750 printed. Due to its influence and scarcity, the First Folio is one of the most valuable printed books in the world, with one being sold at auction in 2001 for over $6 million. The Folger Shakespeare Library itself holds 82 copies of the First Folio in their collection.

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In his Spring painting (1894), Lawrence Alma-Tadema represented the Victorian custom of children collecting flowers on May Day. By placing the scene in ancient Rome, he suggested the festival’s history through architecture, dress, sculpture and instruments. Alma-Tadema incorporated his knowledge of antiquity into over 300 paintings. We are honoured to feature a detail from Spring as part of our collaborative The J. Paul Getty Museum Collection.  

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In his Spring painting (1894), Lawrence Alma-Tadema represented the Victorian custom of sending children to collect flowers on the morning of May 1, or May Day. By placing the scene in ancient Rome, he suggested the festival’s great antiquity through architectural details, dress, sculpture and musical instruments based on Roman originals. Alma-Tadema’s curiosity about the ancient world was insatiable, and he incorporated his knowledge into over 300 paintings of ancient archaeological and architectural design. In later years, his large panoramic depictions of Greek and Roman life caught the attention of Hollywood. The set design of certain scenes in Cecil B. DeMille’s film Cleopatra (1934) was inspired by this painting. We are honoured to feature a detail from Spring as part of our collaborative The J. Paul Getty Museum Collection.  

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This design pays tribute to an 18th-century binding that housed the Khamsa, a seminal work by Persian Sunni Muslim poet Nizami Ganjavi (c. 1141–1209). Featuring intricate floral detail, our Layla cover design beautifully mirrors the contents of the original volume. Considered the greatest romantic poet in Persian literature and described as a “creator of poetic scenes,” Nizami brought a colloquial and otherworldly quality to the Persian epic. His best-known work, the Khamsa (also known in English as the Five Treasures), is a series of five long narrative poems. The first of these, Makhzan-ol-Asrâr, was influenced by Sanai Ghaznavi’s The Walled Garden of Truth, an early Sufi book of mystical poetry. The four other poems are medieval romances. His tragic story of star-crossed lovers Layla and Majnun has famously inspired many contemporary artists with its theme of unrequited love. The delicately adorned cover of this Layla journal, the second title in our Pe

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Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was a French painter who is regarded as one of the greatest of the post-Impressionists. Often called the “Father of Modern Art,” his works and ideas were influential in the aesthetic development of many 20th-century artists and art movements. Reproduced here is a work from his later years, Terracotta Pots and Flowers (1891–1892), which saw Cézanne enter a new world of still life painting. This change in pace exemplified his desire for a new form of personal expression as he sought to slow down and draw focus back to the everyday. Terracotta Pots and Flowers showcases Cézanne’s intense study of still life compositions. His works such as this one explored the connections and harmonies between everyday objects. Here he arranges a red cloth, a rum bottle with straw binding and a light blue pitcher with potted geraniums inside the greenhouse at his father’s estate near Aix-en-Provence. We are honoured to featu

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Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was a French painter who is regarded as one of the greatest of the post-Impressionists. Often called the “Father of Modern Art,” his works and ideas were influential in the aesthetic development of many 20th-century artists and art movements. Reproduced here is a work from his later years, Terracotta Pots and Flowers (1891–1892), which saw Cézanne enter a new world of still life painting. This change in pace exemplified his desire for a new form of personal expression as he sought to slow down and draw focus back to the everyday. Terracotta Pots and Flowers showcases Cézanne’s intense study of still life compositions. His works such as this one explored the connections and harmonies between everyday objects. Here he arranges a red cloth, a rum bottle with straw binding and a light blue pitcher with potted geraniums inside the greenhouse at his father’s estate near Aix-en-Provence. We are honoured to featu

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Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were pioneers in the field of folklore, collecting stories through Germany’s rich oral tradition in order to preserve a history that might otherwise have been lost forever. In doing so, they popularized some of today’s most enduring fairy tales. “The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry” was the first tale in the 1812 edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen). It tells the story of a spoiled princess who reluctantly befriends a frog who, unbeknownst to her, is actually a prince under a sorcerer’s spell. In the original tale, the curse is lifted when the princess throws the frog against a brick wall in anger, but in later years the Brothers Grimm sanitized the story, turning it into the tale we know today. The Grimms’ impact was so profound that it is hard to imagine a world without these stories as they continue to be passed down through generations. We are honoured to reproduce this manuscript from the Bodmer

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Get ready to follow your creative train of thought with Pacifica! Reproducing a gold stamped, dark brown leather binding designed by Alice Cordelia Morse, Pacifica represents a spirit of grand adventure. The original binding was crafted to hold William Seward Webb’s California and Alaska and Over the Canadian Pacific Railway, a well-regarded travelogue first published in 1890. This exquisite edition was produced as a deluxe gift book and was limited to only 500 copies. The copy reproduced here is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library in New York City. As an artist, Morse maintained the belief that the book designer must take the central idea of the book and creatively depict it on the cover. For this binding, one can imagine her creating train tracks crisscrossing a map, or perhaps even the spokes of a compass, in the gold stamping she patterned. Travel is said to broaden the mind, so it is our hope that our Iron Horse design will inspire your creativity and exp

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Get ready to follow your creative train of thought with Pacifica! Reproducing a gold stamped, dark brown leather binding designed by Alice Cordelia Morse, Pacifica represents a spirit of grand adventure. The original binding was crafted to hold William Seward Webb’s California and Alaska and Over the Canadian Pacific Railway, a well-regarded travelogue first published in 1890. This exquisite edition was produced as a deluxe gift book and was limited to only 500 copies. The copy reproduced here is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library in New York City. As an artist, Morse maintained the belief that the book designer must take the central idea of the book and creatively depict it on the cover. For this binding, one can imagine her creating train tracks crisscrossing a map, or perhaps even the spokes of a compass, in the gold stamping she patterned. Travel is said to broaden the mind, so it is our hope that our Iron Horse design will inspire your creativity and expressi

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Described as the “mise en scène for the romantic drama of American business,” New York City’s Chanin Building was built by Irwin S. Chanin in the late 1920s. Ornately adorned with bronze grilles representing some of the finest Art Deco in the city, the lobby was styled around a “City of Opportunity” concept. One of these ventilator grilles, with loops, spirals and geometric lines symbolizing human thought and emotion, is reproduced here.

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Tiptoe through the tulips with us as we discover the vibrantly detailed gardens of Gary Grayson’s artistic world.A lifelong artist, Grayson’s affinity for both antique prints and modern graphic design is on display in the digital artworks behind our Nature Montages series. His distinctive style is an eclectic mix of vintage vector, impressionism and pop art – all combined to create a layered and vibrant world. Here, butterflies and birds invite you to explore the garden together, and the bursting blooms bring promises of warm summer days.Grayson is an artist who defies the limitations of genre. May his boundless creativity so inspire your own expressions of imagination.

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This cover is inspired by an original design attributed to Le Gascon, a legendary but little-known 17thcentury bookbinder. Le Gascon was the inventor of the "pointillé" and "fanfare" styles, and his influence is felt throughout the rich bookbinding history that follows him.If this cover was not created by Le Gascon, it is certainly in his style and was made by another French master. Le Gascon–style bindings first appeared near the end of the reign of Charles IX and were revered for the sophistication and intricacy of their ornamentation. Le Gascon’s fanfare bindings featured gilt decoration that spread out in repeated fanfare patterns, as well as pointillé tooling bordered by bands.The original cover was made of red morocco leather embossed and gilded with rosettes, spirals and dotted lines. It also featured Le Gascon’s emblematic small compartments which were created by carving ridges into the leather.No matter who created the original binding, our cover pays homage to its consummate artistry and visionary design.

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Nobility and grace are restored in our filigreed cover design. Originally crafted in 1675 by the Queens’ Binder “A,” the balance of open space and intricate elements make it a shining jewel of the period. The binding was created to hold The Government of the Tongue by Richard Allestree, provost of Eton College.

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Our Paperblanks Mystique soft cover notebook is inspired by a cover said to have been designed by Le Gascon, a legendary but little-known 17th-century bookbinder. The original cover that inspired this Flexi journal was made of red Moroccan leather embossed and gilded with rosettes, spirals and dotted lines.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style binding at its zenith, this darkly toned book cover is unique, tactile and so very pleasing to the eye. During this remarkable period in history, manuscripts were renowned for their exquisitely crafted covers made of fine moroccan leather. Our cover carefully reproduces delicate stamping patterns on an intensely rich background that showcases the markings and unique character of aged leather bindings.

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Associated with the Islamic Golden Age, Persian Safavid-style designs represented a high point in the art of the book. Symmetry is the hallmark of these bindings which feature medallions, a pentagonal envelope flap closure and elaborately decorated doublures (interior covers), exquisite creations in cut-out leather and gilding. Our cover portrays a remarkable leather filigree pattern incorporating handtooled motifs that retain an elegance and style even in our modern context.

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Rinpa is a leading historical school of Japanese painting, established in 17th-century Kyoto, whose artists were known for working in a wide range of formats. This Natsu design shows a section of a paper screen with various types of blooms often believed to follow the ancient Japanese language of flowers.

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With its intricate flying buttresses and ornate religious sculptures, the Duomo di Milano represents the pinnacle of Italian Gothic architecture. The drawing recreated here is part of a series proposed by the architect Paolo Cesa Bianchi for the decoration of the interior vaults of the Cathedral. The soaring arabesques create a sense of a faux relief arborescence over a golden background.

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The dramatic art tradition of opera traces its roots to the earliest periods of ancient China. During the Tang Dynasty (618 907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644 1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced for this cover is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.

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With pages displaying astounding plays of naturalistic illusionism, the luxurious personal prayer book known as the Spinola Hours is one of the most visually sophisticated Flemish manuscripts of the 16th century. A book of hours contains a calendar of Church holidays, the Hours of the Virgin (a cycle of prayer services devoted to the Virgin Mary), the Office for the Dead and other prayers, hymns and readings, all richly illuminated as seen in the page reproduced here.

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The dramatic art tradition of opera traces its roots to the earliest periods of ancient China. During the Tang Dynasty (618 907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644 1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced for this cover is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.

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This glorious design comes from Sangorski & Sutcliffe, a world-renowned British bindery best known for their bejewelled cover of Omar Khayyam s Rubaiyat. Established in London in 1901, Sangorski & Sutcliffe quickly rose to become one of the 20th century s most important bookbinders. They were especially celebrated for their jewelled bindings, like the one reproduced here. Originally crafted in 1922 to house Rudyard Kipling s 1897 Recessional poem written for Queen Victoria s Diamond Jubilee, it incorporated real turquoise, aquamarine and ruby gemstones, alongside medieval-style illumination by Alberto Sangorski and gold tooling by George Sutcliffe.

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The Adventures of Asterix, our series in partnership with Les Editions Albert Rene, channels the spirit of Asterix the Gaul from the celebrated comic book series. In these stories, Asterix, along with his friend Obelix and canine companion Dogmatix, ventures to lands near and far with unwavering ingenuity and just a little bit of magic potion. This series is a chance to share the joy of these classic stories with a new audience.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style binding at its zenith, this intricately embellished book cover is unique, tactile and so very pleasing to the eye. During this remarkable period in history, manuscripts were renowned for their exquisitely crafted covers made of fine moroccan leather. Brought into Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the Far and Middle East, this style of ornamentation lent a new vibrancy and lightness of design not found in medieval manuscripts.

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This gold-tooled design comes from a unique binding attributed to Christian Samuel Kalthoeber, a German bookbinder working in London. He created the beautiful new cover for this copy of Shakespeare s First Folio around 1800. Originally published in 1623, Mr. William Shakespeare s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (or, First Folio) is one of the most valuable books ever printed.

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Capturing the flavour of Renaissance-style binding at its zenith, this intricately embellished book cover is unique, tactile and so very pleasing to the eye. During this remarkable period in history, manuscripts were renowned for their exquisitely crafted covers made of fine moroccan leather. Brought into Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the Far and Middle East, this style of ornamentation lent a new vibrancy and lightness of design not found in medieval manuscripts.

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During the Tang Dynasty (618–907), the Emperor Taizong founded an opera school called Liyuan (Pear Garden). Chinese opera reached its pinnacle under the Qing court (1644–1911), giving birth to what is known as Peking Opera. Reproduced here is a piece of beautifully embroidered opera skirt from that era.

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Laurel Burch was a self-taught artist and “?ower child” who sold handmade jewellery on the streets of San Francisco in the 1960s. From her fertile imagination, she created brilliantly coloured, vibrant and moving themes with paint and paper, exquisitely embellished with gold and silver. This cover design comes from one of Laurel’s favourite themes – Flutterbyes.

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Discover the ancient legends of the constellations! This journal design highlights the craftsmanship involved in the production of illuminated books such as De sideribus tractatus, a 15th-century manuscript copy of De astronomia. Though the 1st-century BC original is long lost, it has been kept alive by the scribes and miniaturists who reproduced it.

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Paperblanks Safavid journal portrays a leather filigree pattern incorporating handtooled motifs, retaining the elegance and style of the Islamic Golden Age even in our modern context. Symmetry is the hallmark of this binding, which features medallions, a pentagonal envelope flap closure and elaborately decorated “doublures” (interior covers), exquisite creations in cut-out leather and gilding.

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Capturing the flavour of finely wrought Renaissance-style leather bindings, Paperblanks Old Leather Black Moroccan journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling, originally brought to Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the East. The timeless beauty of an antique leather book is brought into the present on the cover of this intricately embellished, rich brown notebook.

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Capturing the flavour of finely wrought Renaissance-style leather bindings, Paperblanks Old Leather Foiled journal pays homage to the craft of delicate gold tooling, originally brought to Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the East. The timeless beauty of an antique leather book is brought into the present on the cover of this intricately embellished, russet and gold notebook.

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This captivating image comes from Andrew Lang’s The Olive Fairy Book. Compiled in 1907 by the Scottish poet and anthropologist Andrew Lang, illustrated by Henry Justice Ford and published under the editorial direction of Lang’s wife, Leonora Alleyne, the book was one in a twelve-part series known as Lang’s Fairy Books (or Andrew Lang’s Fairy Books of Many Colours). Each book in the series was named for the colour of its fairy, and this Olive Fairy notebook reproduces the front cover of that book’s first edition. Upon publication, the books were a sensation among British schoolchildren and were sold all around the world. May the Olive Fairy bring a hint of vintage whimsy to your writings.

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Michelangelo Buonarroti’s (1475–1564) mind was an incessant battlefield. The opposing forces of religious faith and pagan beauty warred across his consciousness. They also helped spur him to create a pantheon of artistic masterpieces.Considered one of the masters of the Italian Renaissance, over the course of his lifetime he produced the finest frescoes and many of the most revered sculptures in the world. Michelangelo possessed a genius as severe and uncompromising as it was fertile. He was renowned for his fierce solitude, yet was one of the great chroniclers of the human form. His anatomical studies are haunting in their expressiveness and precision, while his tombs, such as those designed for Julius II and the Medicis, inspire wordless awe and perhaps even dread.This letter, written in Michelangelo’s own hand, demonstrates with every stroke of the pen the refinement and passion of one of the greatest artists humanity has produced. And with the Sistine Chapel’s The Creation of Adam featured on the back cover, the point of creation beautifully bookends this Embellished Manuscript notebook.

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Azulejos (meaning “small polished stone”) are painted, glazed ceramic tiles that date back to 13th-century Portugal where they were used inside buildings during the Gothic period. Today, we see these decorative tiles across a wide range of buildings, from monasteries, palaces and restaurants to bars, railway stations and family homes. The design on the tiles commonly related to the building’s unique history, and the individual pieces often end up forming an elaborate mosaic.There are countless wonderful examples of these beautiful tiles all across Portugal. The design seen here is pulled from the traditional tiles gracing the façades of a variety of old houses in Porto. Ornate in detail, these tiles do not just serve as decoration but represent an important part of Portuguese culture and tradition. Held within are stories of their country and its past.

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Luxuriate in the brass and regal blue tones of this Blue Luxe cover design. The original book, crafted in the heart of Amsterdam in 1715, was bound in goatskin with elaborate gold tooling. Contained inside the volume was the Oratio Dominica (Lord’s Prayer) in almost 150 languages and dialects, compiled by English courtier John Chamberlayne, creating a document of global appeal.The intricate details of this design reflect the tapestry of cultures in its original pages. The translations spanned from Europe and Asia to Arabia, Persia, Syria and Turkey. Chamberlayne, who was a writer and translator, spoke 16 languages himself.Let the many cultures that once lived within this 18th-century binding inspire you against Blue Luxe’s opulent backdrop.

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Delicate repetition and astonishing detail help to create this silvered meditation on the nature of beauty. The word “filigree” derives from the Latin words filum (thread) and granum (seed). The filigree bindings are enhanced with foliage-ornaments and clasps.This Silver Filigree cover was originally designed in Germany in the early 1800s. To achieve the gilded and polished motif, a base layer of silver sheets was first die cut, and elaborate grooves were then meticulously etched into its surface.The art of filigree is a moving testament to the human drive to ornament in order to delight the eye and focus the spirit and attention. One can imagine this book holding ancient matters of great importance as easily as one can see it placed with pride on a well-appointed contemporary desk.

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William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the most celebrated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts movement. He embraced the ideal of craftspeople taking pride in their personal handiwork, as opposed to the dehumanizing onslaught of the Industrial Revolution’s mass production techniques. He famously said that any decoration is futile when it does not remind you of something beyond itself.Morris specialized in the ancient technique of hand woodblock printing to create his textile patterns and sought inspiration for his famous repeating patterns from the natural world and the decorative artists before him. The influence of “millefleurs” tapestries, early prints of herbs and the abundance of exquisite detail in medieval art can be appreciated in his works. His evocations of antique florals and plants have become classics of the decorative arts and were an early inspiration for our journal designs, gracing our covers from the very beginning.

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A man as tormented as he was beloved, Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) overcame a life of extraordinary ups and downs to become a world-renowned playwright, author and poet.Wilde’s work is fraught with the insights of a man who possessed a deep understanding of both the positives and perils of society. Criticized for what was perceived as an “effeminate nature” and oppressed by a largely homophobic world, Wilde remained resilient. He used his experiences to form brilliant, if controversial, literary works, including The Importance of Being Earnest. Today, he is remembered as one of the most influential writers of the Victorian era.

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The art of still life painting is a celebrated part of Dutch culture, but before still life emerged, there were illustrators who delicately illuminated handwritten manuscripts with images of flora and fauna to add emotional power to a written work.One of the most celebrated practitioners of this style was Joris Hoefnagel (1542–1601). In the 1590s the Emperor Rudolf II commissioned Hoefnagel to add his illuminations to the Mira calligraphiae monumenta, a mid-16th-century manuscript on the art of calligraphy by Georg Bocskay. The page reproduced here is known as Martagon Lily and Tomato.

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Behold the majesty of the ancient cathedral of Ely! This striking notebook design comes from the 1830 cover of James Bentham’s The History and Antiquities of the Conventual and Cathedral Church of Ely, an exactingly crafted ode to the magnificence of the cathedral and the ancient curiosities held within its walls.Ely’s rich history begins with the Anglo-Saxon princess Saint Ethelreda, who founded a monastic community in the Cambridgeshire Fens in 673 ad. Over the centuries, the original abbey was built, destroyed and rebuilt in various forms, with today’s cathedral beginning construction in 1083. With architect George Gilbert Scott at the helm, the Ely Cathedral underwent restorations between 1845 and 1870, rebuilding the galilee porch, lady chapel and choir in an exuberant Decorated Gothic style.With such a rich artistic and spiritual history, it is no wonder that the cathedral would inspire James Bentham to dedicate his life’s work to documenting its artifacts. We are honoured to work with the Bodleian Library to celebrate Bentham’s passion project.

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This bookmark features the image of an antique 19th-century Japanese lacquer box. Lacquerware is created by painting tree sap onto treasured objects to protect and enhance them, showcasing the uniquely human ability to create beauty from unlikely sources.

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Harmonious flowers, balanced colours and highly precise details create the eye-catching, high-impact effect of this Japanese kimono design.Originally designed as a costume for the theatrical style known as Noh, our Kara-ori pattern leaves little doubt why Noh is derived from the words for “skill” and “talent.” With silk and gold lacquered stripes, this is one of the best examples of Japanese textile design we have found. It comes from the Edo period (1615–1868) when Noh theatre, known for the sumptuousness of its costumes, was at its height.Noh theatre is one of the world’s oldest performing arts and has been handed down through generations of Japanese composers and performers. The plots draw from legend, history and contemporary events and are structured around song and dance. Though the thematic tone is often poetic yet monotonous, the costumes are anything but. In fact, Noh is often referred to as “mask drama” due to the importance placed on masks and costumes within the form.The term karaori, for which this design is named, refers specifically to the exquisitely embroidered traditional woman’s kimono like the one reproduced here. Karaori are regarded as some of the most beautiful theatrical costumes in the world, thanks in part to the Japanese aristocracy’s embrace of the theatre style – as both viewers and performers.Though Noh is a Japanese art, karaori means “Chinese weave,” as the fabric has its roots in China. And like the costume reproduced in our Peking Opera Embroidery series, this too would have been crafted for a male performer playing a female role. Both the material itself and the pattern shown would have helped tell the story of the character. In this case, the stiff brocade technique created a thick, glossed fabric that would not drape easily – this was used to create an angular effect evoking the spirit of a noblewoman. The flowering grasses depicted served to emphasize the woman’s femininity.By the Meiji period (1868–1912) Noh had reached such heights that it was introduced overseas, influencing artists far and wide. William Butler Yeats, for example, wrote an essay on Noh in 1916 that he titled “Certain Noble Plays of Japan.” And even more contemporarily, David Byrne of the Talking Heads discovered Noh while touring Japan and, according to American music critic Josh Kun, was inspired by the highly stylized, stiff costumes to “design the oversize business suit that became a visual staple of Talking Heads live shows.”Today there are more than 70 Noh theatres throughout Japan and it has been deigned an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. This beautiful example of karaori costuming can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the Otto C. Deering gift. It is our great pleasure to work with such a gorgeous and culturally important piece of history to craft this Paperblanks design.

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A lifelong artist, Gary Grayson’s affinity for both antique prints and modern graphic design is on display in the digital artwork behind this bookmark. His distinctive style is an eclectic mix of vintage vector, impressionism and pop art.

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Let a swirl of turquoise inspire you to write your chronicles. This cover design is based on the binding for a book titled Chroniques, originally published by Salel Binder in Paris in 1514. The exuberance of the design reflects the splendour of the Renaissance approach to decoration that influenced architecture, art and all facets of cultural life. In the glittering green-blue of this cover you may see the intricacies of your own stories.

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