Maya Blue

While the Paperblanks library of cover designs draws from diverse sources of visual art, antique book bindings in particular have long provided us with an abundance of inspiration. Many such book covers were originally made of leather but in the case of our Silver Filigree Collection, the focus is instead on the splendour of bindings decorated with filigree metalwork.

This manner of adorning books was particularly favoured in the 17th and 18th centuries, with nearly all bindings of this type manufactured in Holland, Switzerland, Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Over the years, craftsmen experimented with different methods of coaxing metal into ornaments of tender and elegant beauty.

This design represents one such book cover that was reproduced for our Silver Filigree Collection. It was originally created by die cutting a thin metal plate to form a latticed ornament with an added embellishment of fine etchings. This binding, which encased a collection of prayers titled Paradiesgärtlein, dates to 1697 and originates from Strasbourg, at the time a part of the Kingdom of France. For our Maya Blue design, we replaced the original’s neutral background with this vibrant blue.