Unbound

Some of the world’s finest designer bookbinders were commissioned to produce fifteen individual hand-bound copies. All offer exceptionally beautiful one-off examples of how each artist interpreted the book. Each has been meticulously printed letterpress by hand on traditional cast iron Heidelberg Press on paper handmade at the famous Ruscombe Mill in France. This copy was exhibited in Oxford University’s Bodleian Library.

“Unbound” reflects the vast, open white space being freed from evil. Full printed alum goat skin in ivory white with raised images of the two fighting bears, Iorek Byrnison, on the front cover and Iofur Raknison on the back. White leather headbands and black leather inner hinges. The black endpapers have the embossed image of a bear on the lower corners and are slightly cockled, reflecting the eerie cold north. The edges are uncut to match the handmade paper and add to the ruggedness of the story. Joan chose black and white to reflect the fight between “good and evil”. The box is covered in soft black leather and lined with black felt.

In addition to signing the book, Philip Pullman has inscribed this copy with a line of text. Each volume is encased in its own slipcase and accompanied by a set of six woodcut images used within the book. Each print is signed by the author and artist and is produced in a format suitable for framing.