SoB BOOKBINDING COMPETITION: 2001
Fine Binding Complete Book Cased Binding
Restored/Conserved Binding
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1st PRIZE, FINE BINDING and
WINNER of the FINE CUT INTERNATIONAL AWARD for
BEST FINISHING in any category
PARZIVAL AND THE HOLY GRAIL - published by Gwas Gregynog - 1990
Bound by JOHN MITCHELL.
The binding is in crimson Morocco leather with black goatskin doublures and crimson moiré silk flyleaves. The design represents the quest for the Holy Grail. The chequered design comes from the design theme used by the woodcut artist, Stefan Mrozewski, as an illustration feature throughout the book. This theme has been added to the book decoration to give a perspective feel to the design, with the Holy Grail motif tooled in gold in a distant central position. The radiating lateral and vertical gold lines provide additional perspective.
The black leather doublures have been tooled in gold without the inlays of leather. All three edges are hand gilded and have dual–coloured headbands.
2nd PRIZE, FINE BINDING
NIGHT TRAIN TO THE STARS - Bound by ERI FUNAZAKI
The binding was inspired by a particular piece of Japanese literature written by Kenji Miyazawa. The design represents the galaxy, to where the boys on the train are travelling, 'clatter–clatter, through the night sky'. With this binding I tried to combine the image of the starry sky and the mysterious train that, 'doesn't run on steam of electricity, it just runs, because that is what it is supposed to do'.
The text of the book was hand type set and printed in Letterpress on a flat–bed proofing press, with illustrations taken from etched zinc plates, with aquatint. These prints are coated with a water–based varnish.
The binding is in full midnight blue Niger goatskin with the leaves sewn on tapes which are laced into the boards. The boards have recesses into which speckled paper is inlayed, representing the night sky, with thin lines tooled in gold. The book is enclosed in a flat–folding protective envelope box, covered in blue 'watered silk' cloth and speckled paper.
3rd PRIZE, FINE BINDING
COMPLETE NONSENSE - by Edward Lear
Bound by LOUIS VALENTINE
The binding was sewn on recessed cords, with full gilt edges, bound in full vellum with coloured inlays, forming four reducing sized panels. The colours were used to reflect the colours used in the text and the colourful content of the book. These colours are again reflected in the hand sewn headbands. A tri–coloured leather onlaid panel on the spine carries the gold tooled title
The binding is enclosed in a paper lined drop–back box, bound in quarter vellum with black buckram sides and trays.
HIGHLY COMMENDED, FINE BINDING
THE LOVERS' SONG-BOOK - published by Gwas Gregynog
Bound by ANN TOUT
The concept for the binding was to convey thoughts drifting through time, with a romantic theme. I used the gilded circle to represent the Earth, the Moon and the Wedding Ring and the flower petals for fragility and floating.
The binding is in full Morocco with watercolour paintings, on thin handmade paper firmly pressed onto transparent vellum, onlaid and heavily pressed to recess them into the leather. The circle was hand tooled in gold. The top edge is gilded and two–tier dual–coloured headbands were hand sewn. There are leather joints and the pastedowns and flyleaves are of handmade paper incorporating petals and grasses.
The binding is enclosed in a drop–back box covered in tan coloured buckram.
HIGHLY COMMENDED, FINE BINDING
COLLECTED PROVERBS - by Erasmus
Bound by CATHY ADELMAN
This full leather binding in black goatskin has silver edge decoration on the head and tri–colour, two–tier headbands. The design includes French style leather onlays in purple, with their edges sunken and secured by silver linear tooling. The binding has a leather joint and the flyleaves and pastdowns are of hand marbled paper.
The use of the Golden Rectangle in the design was inspired by the proverb ‘veritus simplex oratio’ - truth’s tale is simple. The nature of truth and the truth of nature are reflected in the Golden rule.
The binding is enclosed in a full black leather covered fireproof slip box and then enclosed in a drop–back, black cloth–covered box.
HIGHLY COMMENDED, FINE BINDING
THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER - An illustrated edition of the
poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Bound by PAMELA RICHMOND
This limited edition of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, was printed in London by Fine Art Limited and illustrated by Frank Horley; this being the artist’s copy.
The binding is in full black Morocco with gold, red and blind tooling on the front and back boards. It has red Morocco doublures and flyleaves of green handmade paper. All three edges were gilded (by another hand) and there are green and red hand sewn headbands.
The binder has echoed the artist’s use of circles in the illustrations within the book, through the use of the sympathetic abstracted design concept. The design intention was to follow the journey of the Ancient Mariner, from the land of ice and snow to his eventual becalming.
