This notebook inspired by original Byzantine illuminated ornament can be your keep-sake treasury or a bit of elegance to carry with you, a journal, or a diary for that special something. This authentic drawn illumination is not simply a decorative design in the brightness of its golden reflection. It's primarily an elegance of Byzantine thought conjoining in its figurative speech the language of its values: faith and devotion.



William Butler Yeats once wrote that in Byzantium "the painter, the mosaic worker, the worker in gold and silver, the illuminator of sacred books were almost impersonal, almost perhaps without the consciousness of individual design, absorbed in their subject matter and that the vision of a whole people." All of the splendor of Byzantine art is a reflection of beauty that derives from its Christian faith.



Me... It reminds me of touching the untouchable the heart is seeking for or expressing the inexpressible as love. Sometimes, I would personally describe it with a bit impossible description as "an attempt to beautify love". I could say that within this frame of mind I created the original design for the covers which was later reprinted for the notebook so it would become a "uniqueness" I could share with others.



Colors prevailing on the outside are those of an antique leather book for the distressed, warn out background such as khaki, beige to Havana brown melting together within their nuances. The ornament is in a golden color with small details in pale violet red, sky blue, black and dark sea green which are a bit transparent. Inside covers are made from fabric in a golden color and paper (which is in a slightly grey nuance as you can see on the photos). Such combining of materials is a part of the traditional process within an authentic bookbinding.



The notebook measures 17 x 24 x 1,8 cm and has 100 lined pages. Its surface is protected by a thin matte layer so it would not get scratched or damaged while you carry it with you. Also, if it gets a bit smudged or dirty, you can clean it with a piece of wet, soft cotton. Eventual visible alterations are due to the whole process and should be appreciated as a particularity of the handmade item.



Pages have been sewn manually using a linen thread. The notebook is made from cardboard, ecological paper and has a dark brown bookmark ribbon.



What makes it special except for the unique original design is the continuation of traditional bookbinding technique of making the inside covers using fabric which is something rarely seen nowadays since it demands additional assembling and precision.



The item listed here is on the photo and is a finished product. I am also able to sew another hand bound notebook with the reprint of the same covers' design and I can make a custom order. So, if you wish to have one notebook with a unique design created just for you, I would be very happy to make it.



Small additional items on the pictures are not for sale, they appear only for the purpose of taking photos.



This item will be packed and protected well. The approximate time when you might expect it to arrive, I shall mail you when it is sent and on its way to you. Please, contact me regarding all the questions you might have concerning the item, the shipment, or others.



Inseparable share of Byzantine art is the wholeness of its tradition. Even extracted into a new, contemporary context, its design everlastingly stands for firmness and truthfulness of the belief from which it originates. Outside magnificence is a glow of the inner one in which everything has its meaning and moreover its theological background. That's why, it's always an inspirational discovery.



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