Thistle

This archival, hand-sewn journal is made from 80 gsm Mohawk Superfine archival paper stitched with Irish linen thread in the linked pattern that dates back to the ancient Copts. This stitch allows the book to lay open easily at any page.

This book’s endbands are blue and white cotton, and its bookmark is printed sheepskin.  Its spine is covered in printed sheepskin, and its boards are wrapped in moiré silk bookcloth.

 Treasure binding began with monks in the 6^th Century who would encrust volumes with jewels. During the Renaissance, there was a resurgence in treasure binding. This is a contemporary revival of the treasure binding in which a lucky charm has been embedded in the cover of this book.  

 The talisman in this journal is a 1988 British 20 pence piece, featuring an image of a crowned Scottish thistle.  Is the thistle a weed or a flower?  Maybe that depends upon the country, or the day, or both.

This book is roughly 6 x 9” with more than 150 blank pages.