Revelations

Bound by Rachel Ward Sale

Revelations

The tryptic box construction which I used for this binding seemed appropriate for a religious text, as well as allowing the concertina text block to be displayed flat or fully extended. The box is covered in dyed natural goat leather gilded and impressed, with onlaid crosses of dyed and printed natural calf. The design wraps around the binding with the crosses echoed on the dyed paper flyleaf in sprinkled gold leaf.

The anger and fury in the text of Revelations is so vivid that it brought to mind the ragings of hate preachers and fanatics. The ritual of burning crosses, originally as a warning of danger, has been appropriated by extremists as a symbol of fear and oppression. However, in East Sussex burning crosses are carried during bonfire celebrations to commemorate religious martyrs burnt at the stake. The use of this potent symbol in conflicting roles made it seem appropriate for a design based on hatred versus forgiveness.

Rachel and her work can be found at Bookbinders of Lewes