• Original Art: Sangorski & Sutcliffe binding for Háfiz̤ of Shíráz: Selections from His Poems
• Era: 1910 binding (14th-century story)
• Region: London, England

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This glorious binding comes from the revered artisans at Sangorski & Sutcliffe, a world-renowned British bindery best known for the bejewelled cover of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat (also known as the Great Omar), forever lost in the sinking of the Titanic.

The beautiful binding reproduced here was crafted in 1910 to house a collection of works by celebrated Persian poet Hafiz, entitled Háfiz̤ of Shíráz: Selections from His Poems (translated from the Persian by Herman Bicknell). It was made of red levant morocco with leather joints and green levant morocco flyleaves, with three stunningly bejewelled peacocks with their feathers on full display as the focal point. The birds were inlaid in eight different colours and embellished with foliage and gold tooling, and the binding itself set with pearls and 33 opals that lend it an unparalleled opulence.

Established in London in 1901, Sangorski & Sutcliffe quickly rose to become one of the 20th century’s most important bookbinding firms, famous for jewelled bindings like “Recessional”, Háfiz̤ of Shíráz, and Rubaiyat and for their use of real gold in the cover details.

In an interesting connection with our larger design library, Francis Sangorski (1875–1912) and George Sutcliffe (1878–1941), the firm’s founders, first met at a bookbinding class led by Douglas Cockerell, part of the family behind our Cockerell Marbled Paper series! We are honoured to work with this pinnacle of luxurious bookbinding and to share the legacy of Sangorski & Sutcliffe with 21st-century bibliophiles and stationery lovers.