Folds open to reveal printed page. Printed on a platen press with polymer plates; Magnani paper; sheepskin parchment; triangular full goatskin leather; Ebru endpapers by Ann Muir; clasp by John Hughes; signed by Janet R. Kellett. 48 x 48 mm.
- Unique Physical Construction: The book is tiny, measuring approximately 2 1/8" x 2 1/4" x 2 1/4". It is a triangular book containing a printed and colored parchment hexagon that unfolds like the petals of a rose to reveal the sonnet.
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Artisanal Materials:
- Binding: Bound in red goatskin leather and secured with a lacquered bronze rose-shaped clasp designed by Canadian jeweler John Hughes.
- Paper: The text is letterpress printed onto real sheepskin parchment.
- End-papers: Decorated with Ebru (Turkish marbled paper) flowers specifically commissioned from artist Ann Muir.
- Symbolic Design: The unfolding rose motif mimics the "Tudor rose within a rose" and is hand-painted with waterproof inks to build up layers of color.
- Extreme Rarity: This is a strictly limited edition of only 25 copies, each signed and numbered.
- Presentation: It is housed in a square box covered in Japanese Chiyogami mulberry fiber paper and lined with black "silk" paper.
The sonnet itself ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?") is celebrated for its theme of immortalizing beauty through verse, a concept physically mirrored by the book’s intricate and durable construction. -
Artisanal Materials: